


El Viaje de Coquita

by E1craZ4life



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-07-06 13:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 31
Words: 27,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15886887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/E1craZ4life/pseuds/E1craZ4life
Summary: We've seen a handful of works exploring earlier generations of the Rivera family going to the Land of the Dead instead of Miguel. But what would happen if it was his sister Socorro who went there? And how would she be able to do it?





	1. El Capítulo Uno

"Nothing!" Miguel spun around with a nervous smile on his face as his parents and Abuelita walked into the _ofrenda_ room. "M-Mamá, Papá, I--"

"Miguel..." Enrique interrupted, "your Abuelita has the most wonderful idea."

Miguel gulped, knowing he could easily guess what his parents had in mind.

"We've all decided..." Enrique slipped a leather apron over Miguel's head, "...it's time you join us in the workshop!"

"W-What?!"

"No more shining shoes; you will be making them! Every day after school!"

Elena grabbed Miguel by the cheeks. "Our Migueli-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to! Carrying on the family tradition! And on Día de los Muertos!" She looked to the _ofrenda_ with bubbly enthusiasm. "Your ancestors will be so proud! You'll craft huaraches, like your Tía Victoria!"

Enrique was equally enthused. "And wingtips, like your Papá Julio!"

Miguel shuffled toward the door. "B-But what if I'm no good at making shoes?"

Enrique laughed and gestured toward the _ofrenda_. "Ay, Miguel, you have your family here to guide you. You are a Rivera, and a Rivera is..."

Miguel sighed as he completed the family mantra. "...a shoemaker, through and through."

His father gave him a great big hug. "That's my boy! Berto! Break out the good stuff; I want to make a toast!"

Elena was the last to leave, as she was busy smothering Miguel's faces with kisses.

As soon as they were out of sight, Miguel sighed and trundled back to the table where his guitar was hidden.

He saw Dante peek out from under the tablecloth. "What am I going to do, Dante?"

As he bent down to retrieve the guitar, Dante sprinted between Miguel's legs, throwing him off balance and sending him chin first into a plate of chicken in mole sauce on the _ofrenda_.

He managed to catch himself, but by the time he was standing upright again, Dante was long gone.

He heaved another sigh as he plucked the guitar from under the table and turned to return it to the attic.

Before he took two steps, he saw Mamá Coco reaching toward him.

"Papá? Papá!"

Miguel paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"Papá, you're home!"

Unsure of what to make of this, Miguel continued for the door.

He felt Mamá Coco's hand grab his own.

"Papá, play for me!"

That's when Miguel realized that she thought that he was her papá.

Miguel looked outside for anyone near the _ofrenda_ room. He saw no one.

He thought of playing "Remember Me", but he was scared that his family would hear him.

But at the same time, Mamá Coco seemed adamant that he play a song for her.

Miguel swallowed and picked the opening notes of the song, playing in a way that he hoped wouldn't be heard by the rest of the family; slowly picking a scant few notes at a time and singing as quietly as possible.

" _Recuérdame... hoy me tengo que ir, amor;_  
_Recuérdame... no llores, por favor;_  
_Te llevo en mi corazón y cerca me tendrás;_  
_A solas yo te encantaré soñando en regresar..._ "

Miguel was too busy keeping himself inconspicuous to notice Mamá Coco becoming more livid with every note.

" _Recuérdame... aunque tengo que emigrar;_ "

He only noticed when Mamá Coco started singing along with him.

" _Recuérdame... si mi guitarra oyes llorar;_  
Ella con su triste canto te acompa _ñará..._  
Hasta que en mis brazos tú est _és,...  
Rec_ _uérdame._ "

Mamá Coco smiled as tears rolled down her cheeks.

" _Gracias, mijo_. Just like Papá used to sing it to me."

Miguel was surprised. "Really?"

" _Sí_. Take me to my room; there's something I want to show you."

Miguel hid the guitar back under the _ofrenda_ and wheeled Mamá Coco to her room.


	2. El Capítulo Dos

Miguel wheeled Mamá Coco to her her bedroom, passing through the courtyard where his family was making final preparations for Día de los Muertos.

" _Hola,_ Elena," Mamá Coco greeted her daughter.

" _Hola,_ Abuelita," Miguel repeated the greeting.

Elena slowed down her sweeping. "Where are you taking your Mamá Coco, Miguel?"

"She wanted to show me something in her room."

"Ah. Well, be ready for dinner in one hour, _mijo_."

" _Sí_ , Abuelita."

Miguel continued steering his _bisabuela_ to her room.

* * *

When they got there, Mamá Coco asked Miguel to shut the door. " _Cierra la puerta, por favor._ "

Miguel complied. "So, what did you want to show me?"

"In the drawer, there's a red book under my crochet materials."

Miguel opened the drawer and found what she was talking about. "What is it?"

"You have to promise not to let anything happen to that book or anything inside it. It means more to me than my life, Miguel."

Miguel gripped the book with both hands. "I promise, Mamá Coco."

"Inside that book are letters that my papá wrote for me when I was a little girl. I hid them all when Mamá made the rule of no music."

"And now you want me to keep them safe after you're gone?"

" _Sí_. Papá was a very nice man; I know he was. He was a wonderful musician who wrote such beautiful songs, and Mamá was a wonderful singer as well."

Miguel opened the book, finding that it was filled with letters inserted inside the pages. He spotted a torn corner of a photograph with a man's face on it.

He showed it to Mamá Coco. "Is this him?"

" _Sí_. I wanted you to be just like my papá; kind, loving, and passionate for music. I would die a happy woman if someone knew how much Papá loved me."

Miguel closed the book. "It's in good hands now, Mamá Coco; I will protect this with my life."

" _Gracias, mijo._ "

"I'll put this in a safe place, and then we can join the rest of the family for dinner." He tucked the book in a pocket in his apron and wheeled Mamá Coco out of her room.

He parked her at her usual place at the table, and then he turned to find a safe place for Mamá Coco's memorabilia.

He was stopped by his _abuelita_. "Where are you going?"

"I need to go wash up."

" _¡Apúrate!_ "

Miguel ran to hide the book in the attic, under the makeshift _ofrenda_ for Ernesto de la Cruz. He slithered back down to the dining room, cleaning himself off on the way down.

Elena strolled to Miguel's spot at the table carrying a steaming plate of tamales. "So, what did Mamá Coco want to show you, Miguel?"

Miguel immediately took a bite of one of the tamales served to him to give him time to think of a response.

" _Hambriento, ¿verdad?_ "

Miguel nodded.

"If only you'd eat when you're supposed to, Miguelito." Elena covered her grandson's face with kisses.

Miguel gave a whiny mumble in response.

* * *

Later that evening, the family went outside to watch the sunset, giving Miguel the chance to retrieve his guitar from the _ofrenda_ room.

As he did so, his eyes drifted to the torn photo of Mamás Coco and Imelda and the disappeared musician whose face was now in Miguel's possession.

He noticed that the gap in the photo was smaller than the fragment from Mamá Coco's mementos of her Papá.

Curious, he took the photo off the _ofrenda_ and took it to the attic with his guitar.


	3. El Capítulo Tres

Three skeletons entered the Rivera _hacienda_ ; one male, two females. None of the people living there could see them, but a Xolo dog ran up to greet them.

The skeleton in the pink dress bend down and started petting the dog. "Oh, such a cute _perri-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to_!"

The skeleton in the blue and green dress sighed. "That dog has been here for four years now, Tía Rosita."

" _Sí_ , but he's still so cute I could just eat him up."

The male skeleton walked over to the old woman in the wheelchair. "There's my _angelita dulcita_!"

" _Sí._ " The blue dress skeleton adjusted her glasses. "I think this might be her last Día de los Muertos before she joins us."

"It's such a shame we couldn't hold out as long as she has."

"There's no use moping over what could have been."

" _Por supuesto_ , Victoria. I just wish we could've lived as long as Julio instead of - "

That's when the male skeleton noticed something about the _ofrenda_. "Where's Mamá Imelda's _foto_?"

"What do you mean, Papá?" Victoria followed him inside.

Her father pointed out a vacant spot where a photo used to be.

His sister Rosita saw this. " _¡Dios mio!_ She can't cross the bridge if her _foto_ isn't on the _ofrenda_!"

"Tío Óscar and Tío Felipe are on the _ofrenda_ ; they should be able to reach us."

Her father saw two more skeletons walking toward the hacienda. " _Habla del Diablo._ "

" _¡Oyé!_ " A pair of identical skeletons rushed into the _ofrenda_ room out of breath.

"It's Mamá Imelda!"

"She couldn't cross over!"

"She's stuck!"

"On the other side!"

They heard living footsteps approaching the _ofrenda_ room, and turned to see Miguel walking in with a picture frame tucked under his shoulder.

He put it in the vacant spot on the _ofrenda_ , and the skeletons could see that it was Imelda's _foto_ that was returned to the _ofrenda_.

Except that the entire right side of the _foto_ had been ripped out, the tear going straight through baby Coco.

Miguel stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Hopefully, they won't get too mad at this. It's not like they'll miss Papá Héctor's presence in the _foto_."

Victoria looked to her twin uncles. "Is that Abuelito's name? Héctor?"

" _Sí_ , but..."

"...how could he possibly have figured out who he is?"

"Well, go see if Abuelita can get over the bridge now."

"We will."

" _¡V_ _ámonos!_ "

As they left, the rest of the dead family made their way to the courtyard, unaware of Miguel climbing up onto the roof of the house.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Land of the Dead, the scanner operator saw a familiar sight stroll up to the station wearing a dress.

"Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo. Shall we skip the scanner? I'm on so many _ofrendas_ , I'll just overwhelm your blinky-thingy."

The request went straight over the agent's head, and she activated the scanner.

To the surprise of both, the database came back with a match.

"Oh, it looks like your great-great-grandson put up your _foto_ , _Frida_."

"Really?" Héctor shed his disguise in favor of his usual attire and took a look at the screen.

Indeed, he saw the right half of his family _foto_ , complete with his face that had been missing at one point, taped to a wall and surrounded by candles and tamales.

"Have a wonderful visit, Héctor."

"That's exactly what I plan on doing."

With a skip, a jump, and a _grito_ , Héctor made bouncing strides toward the bridge, nearly running down a pair of identical skeletons going in the other direction.


	4. El Capítulo Cuatro

Miguel sat down in front of the new _ofrenda_ in the attic. He began reading the letters that Mamá Coco had guarded so dearly her whole life. They painted a very different picture of the man who'd left his family all those years ago than what he'd been raised to believe.

Papá Héctor had written letters spanning the course of several months. They detailed his travels with a man named "Tío Nesto", whom Miguel assumed to be Ernesto de la Cruz based on the fact that Papá Héctor was holding the same guitar played by the famous musician in the photo that now formed the centerpiece of a new secret _ofrenda_. They talked about the love and adoration he possessed for his wife and daughter, and how nothing could compare to his _familia_. About his lifelong friendship with Ernesto and how they compared to his life back home. Even exploits of how he and Mamá Imelda came to be married.

The letters also featured lyrics to the songs they sang during the tour. Songs which Miguel recognized as the ones sang by Ernesto, but which Papá Héctor claimed to have written himself. Studying the lyrics, the claim made perfect sense when taken together with who the man had attributed his inspirations for the songs to. "Remember Me" was written for Mamá Coco to sing while her papá was on tour, "Poco Loco" was written to serenade Mamá Imelda after playing at her _quinceañera_ , etc.

As the dates continued, the letters talked increasingly about feelings of homesickness and wanting nothing more than to see his family again. Ernesto kept extending the tour and adding more and more cities to the journey. The final letter, dated December 7, 1921, just one week after his 21st birthday, explained that he'd bought a train ticket back to Santa Cecilia and would be leaving Mexico City that very night. It ended with the postscript "I think this letter will arrive after me.".

But everyone in the Rivera family knew that Papá Héctor never came back home.

Which may have explained why Mamá Imelda thought he left the family.

Miguel had learned everything he could about Ernesto de la Cruz growing up, and never once did he mention being anything other than a solo act. None of the interviews revealed anything about his rise to fame, other than that he grew up in Santa Cecilia, and none of de la Cruz's biographers could find any evidence of what his life was like just before he made it big. Nor did anyone know where he got the famous guitar.

As much as Miguel wanted to investigate further, he had promised Mamá Coco that her memorabilia of her papá would be kept safe from the rest of the family.

* * *

Héctor reached the end of the bridge, his feet touching grassy soil for the first time in decades. He looked around him, seeing that he was in a cemetery.

A large mausoleum stood at the top of the hill; Héctor could see it was dedicated to Ernesto.

Looking out at the other graves, he could see skeletons from every era engaged in various activities; dancing with one another, taking offerings on their graves, and reminiscing fondly on their living family.

For a man like Héctor, who could tell that his stories had been passed down recently, it was a lot to take in.

Soon, he found himself stepping out of the cemetery gates, following a trail of _cempazuchitl_ pedals strewn on the cobblestone pathway that glowed as visiting spirits walked on them.

"So, this is Santa Cecilia now, eh?" He followed the pedals that were glowing for him, which he assumed would lead to his great-great-grandson's _ofrenda_.


	5. El Capítulo Cinco

In the Land of the Dead, Imelda was furiously waiting in a long line of holiday travelers. How dare those people say that her _foto_ was not on an _ofrenda_! Her family always - ALWAYS - puts up her _foto_! All the people waiting in front of her were wasting her time! The family in front of her should have a strategy for visiting all of their _ofrendas_ already, and the couple in front of them should already know which _ofrenda_ to visit this year.

If the line didn't start moving again in the next 30 seconds, she was going to demand to speak to the person in charge.

The deadline hadn't come by the time she heard two voices calling to her.

"Imelda!"

" _¡_ _Hermana!_ "

She turned toward the voices and saw her brothers pushing their way through the crowd behind her.

"Óscar! Felipe!" She waved at them.

"Your _foto_ is back!"

"Back on the _ofrenda_!"

Imelda grew suspicious. "What do you mean _back_?"

"Miguel took the _foto_ off the _ofrenda_."

"And ripped off the entire right half of it."

"WHAT?!" She stormed out of the lobby and made a beeline for the bridge checkpoint.

* * *

Héctor took in the town around him as much as the trail of pedals would allow. The plaza, the markets, the schools, the church, and all the houses. Truly, he had missed out on a lot of changes since he died.

If only someone had put up his _foto_ sooner.

And according to Sofía, he was a great-great-grandfather, and his great-great-grandson made an _ofrenda_ for him. All he had to do now was find it, and hope that his Coco would be seen along the way.

The large sign shaped like a shoe was all he needed to know that he was back home. There were people gathered in the courtyard around a large table. Men and women laying out delicious food, two young boys chasing each other around the courtyard, and an old woman serving some older children.

There were also three translucent skeletons watching the oblivious family from the sidelines.

As soon as Héctor entered the courtyard, a very old woman in a wheelchair raised an arm toward Héctor.

"Papá?" She croaked weakly. "Papá?"

The living people took notice, and all activity tumbled to a standstill.

The woman who had been serving tamales set down her burden and tried to calm the woman who was no doubt his daughter Coco.

"Mamá, _cálmese_ , _cálmese_."

Coco continued to look to Héctor as he inched closer.

"Papá is home!" She made an effort to smile. "You came home, Papá!"

By now, the invisible spirits had noticed this unusual behavior and were looking around.

It only took a few seconds for them to notice Héctor walking over to Coco, whose gaze remained fixed on him the entire time.

He smiled weakly as their expressions slipped into stunned disbelief. " _Hola_."

The living family remained unaware of the drama unfolding around them.

"So, these are the living members of the family?"

The skeleton in the blue dress was the first to speak. "I thought your face was ripped off of Abuelita's _foto_."

"Apparently, someone held onto that piece."

"It must have been Coco who kept it," the pink skeleton mused.

The short skeleton with the white mustache laughed nervously. "You might want to get out of here before Mamá Imelda gets here."

"Once I find my great-great-grandson's _ofrenda_ , I will." He went off to look for it.

A Xolo dog barked to him, beckoning him to follow. The dog led him up to a rooftop below the shoe sign.

The other three skeletons watched as Héctor climbed through a hole behind the sign.

As soon as he had vanished behind the sign, Rosita looked to Julio and Victoria. "Should we tell Imelda about this?"


	6. El Capítulo Seis

Miguel sat down at the table with the rest of his family, taking a spot next to Mamá Coco. As soon as he was settled in his chair, his abuelita began filling his plate with food.

Right away, the family could tell something was off about the boy. Usually, the boy would be chatting up a storm to Mamá Coco. But he was stuffing his face without saying a word to anyone.

He did notice Coco's weak cries of "Papá is home! Papá is home!", and he looked quizzically at his abuelita.

"I don't know what's gotten into that poor woman, _mijo_."

* * *

Imelda arrived at the Rivera _hacienda_ with her brothers flanking her from either side and a small gray cat leading the way. She was immediately greeted by the rest of her dead relatives.

" _Buenas noches, mi familia_."

" _Buenas noches, Abuelita_."

"What's this about my _foto_ being 'back' on the _ofrenda_?"

Julio laughed nervously. "Well, you see, Miguel... uh..."

Rosita picked up for her brother. "He tore off the part of your _foto_ with - - "

"WHAT?!" The matriarch stormed into the _ofrenda_ room.

What she saw nearly loosened her jaw from her face.

"What did he do?!"

Victoria offered an idea. "Check the attic. There's a hole in the wall behind the sign."

Imelda marched right up to the roof and, with the cat to push the sign aside, managed to squeeze through the hole.

She heard a familiar voice gasp. "Who's there?"

The cat meowed as she pulled herself inside.

"Oh, it's just a cat."

Imelda navigated toward where the voice had come from, the cat seeming to lead the way.

As she drew closer, she could hear someone playing a guitar.

She found him sitting on his knees in front of an _ofrenda_ made of candles, tamales, and the half of her photo that had Héctor and his guitar, complete with his face. Surrounding it was every letter that she received from him after he left, piled atop a homemade guitar made of discarded materials. He was playing a ghost copy of the guitar and had a pile of tamales in his lap.

"Wha... I... I thought I threw them all away! How did - - "

The music came to an abrupt stop as his eyes met hers. "Imelda?"

Her gaze hardened like epoxy. "Héctor."

He smiled nervously. "You look good."

"Just what do you think you're doing in _my_ family's home?"

"My _foto_ is finally on an _ofrenda_ after all these years!" Héctor gestured to the _ofrenda_ with his _foto_. "I've been trying to cross that flower bridge for 96 years so I could see Coco again!"

"So, why are you up here when Coco is downstairs?"

"She was my first stop when I got here. I could tell she saw me."

She raised an eyebrow ridge.

"She was reaching out to me and calling out for her papá. And she passed down my stories to her great-grandson, and he made an _ofrenda_ for me."

Imelda walked up to him, leaning in so close that if they still had noses, they'd be pushing against each other. "Hear this now. I don't care who in this family makes an _ofrenda_ for you; you have no business being part of a family you left for your stupid musical fantasies. And if I ever catch you here again, you'll hear from my boot!"

Héctor stood up, collecting all of his tamales and using the guitar as a plate for them, and made his way out of the attic. "Just don't expect to have such an easy time with Coco when she crosses over."


	7. El Capítulo Siete

The date was May 5, 2018. A day for Mexicans to remember the day that victory was won at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Throughout Santa Cecilia, people were hosting celebrations of grand proportions and creating exuberant atmospheres.

But in the Rivera household, there was no such mirth.

Just that morning, a local doctor had walked out of Coco Rivera's room with his hat on his chest.

Everyone knew exactly what message was being conveyed without needing to hear another word from the man.

Of all the Riveras, none were more devastated than Miguel, who adamantly insisted he read the eulogy at the funeral. The boy needed no words placed in front of him to convey the emotions that lay within his heart and echoed the thoughts of his family.

Little could anyone have realized that worse was still yet to come.

* * *

Coco woke up surrounded by complete darkness spare for an orange glow from one area. Turning to face the glow, she saw it was a trail of _cempazuchitl_ pedals.

"What in the world?" She reached out toward the pedals, surprised by how little effort was needed to do so.

She pushed herself out of her wheelchair, finding that she was able to walk again.

"Where am I?" She followed the trail of glowing pedals.

The world around her was completely silhouetted spare for the dark sky above her. The only source of light was the _cempazuchitl_ pedals, which disappeared behind Coco as she followed them. As she walked, she looked down the trail to see where it led. All she could make out was a bright orange light that could've passed off as the sun were it not for the dark sky.

As she drew closer, she noticed that the trail of pedals was growing thicker by the meter. If the pedals were pebbles, it could easily have passed as a gravel walkway through the woods. She was close enough to the light to see what it was.

It was a bridge made entirely of _cempazuchitl_ pedals. She couldn't see what was on the other side, as it was blanketed in a dark purple fog. To Coco's surprise, the bridge took her weight as if it were made entirely of stone.

She continued forward until the fog lifted to reveal what awaited her.

She was awestruck as she took in the sights of thousands of colorful skyscrapers stacked on top of one another stretching as far as the eye could see. "Wow...!"

Only then did Coco become aware that she wasn't the only one on the bridge. Others were walking in the same direction as she was.

And all of them were nothing but bones.

As soon as Coco's feet reached solid ground again, two skeletons in security uniforms directed her to a queue outside a large door labeled "Los Recién Llegados".

As she joined the queue, a loudspeaker announcement made her situation completely clear. " _Bienvenidos a la Tierra de los Muertos. Por favor entren por el Departamento de Reuniones de Familias, y su familia estará notificado de su arribo._ "

* * *

It was roughly half an hour of waiting before Coco reached the end of the line. She was helped by a female agent.

" _Buenas noches, señora._ My name is Sofía, and I will be your Crossing Agent tonight."

" _Es un placer conocerte_."

" _Gracias_. Name please?"

"Socorro Catalina Rivera de Martínez."

She inputted the name into a typewriter. "And what family do you have here?"

"My mamá and papá, Tío Óscar, Tío Felipe, my husband Julio, his sister Rosita, and my daughter Victoria."

"Ah, you must be Héctor's daughter."

"You know my papá?"

" _Sí_. He's made a name for himself trying to cross the bridge every year on Día de los Muertos to try and see you."

"I knew it! I knew he still loved me even after all these years!"

"Do you want him to come here first or the rest of your _familia_?"

"I want to see my papá."


	8. El Capítulo Ocho

Héctor sighed as he watched yet another cousin evaporate before his eyes. For decades, he had been scared of his impending Final Death, and had difficulty being positive about anything. But during the last Día de los Muertos, he had seen firsthand that his daughter had finally gotten around to sharing her stories about him with his great-great-grandson, and he would stay remembered long enough to greet his daughter when she crossed over.

Even then, he couldn't fully enjoy his newfound longevity; he was afraid the other residents of Shantytown would hate him for his new lease of afterlife, despite their assurances that they housed no such feelings of him, especially since he had shared his offerings from his _ofrenda_ with everyone there.

The only thing that could get those thoughts out of his mind would be seeing Coco when she crossed over. Which, if his great-great-grandson knowing about him and making an _ofrenda_ for him was any indication, would now be possible for him.

He stepped out of the bungalow with his hat on his chest and his guitar in his other hand. No matter how many times it happened, it was always painful for the residents of Shantytown to witness a Final Death. And for a long while, no one spoke a word, simply bowing their heads in sadness.

While they could've easily shaken it off with the knowledge that they were all just as close to Final Death as the latest victim, that was no longer the case for Héctor; if he had made that sentiment, it would've come across as insensitive to the others.

At the very least, he promised that as long as he was remembered, even if he was reunited with his blood family, he would always return to Shantytown to help them however he could.

After a long period of dead silence, Héctor started playing the song he had played for Chicharrón.

" _Conoces ya a Juanita..._  
_Sus ojos son bicolores...  
Sus dientes chuecos y tiene tres...  
Con sus tetas, el suelo ray_ _ó..._ "

He paused as Tío Chelo snickered.

" _Sus trenzas son de alambre...  
Arqueadas sus piernas están...  
Si yo no fuera tan feo,...  
Su amor tal vez me podr_ _ía dar._ "

The residents gave a gentle applause as the song ended.

It was then that the people present were aware of a newcomer who was clapping with them.

Héctor recognized the face. " _Buenas noches, Guillermo._ What brings you here tonight?"

"I come bearing news for you, Señor Rivera. About your daughter."

There could only be one reason for him to mention her. "Has she crossed over?"

" _Sí._ She had requested that you be the first to be made aware of her arrival."

"So, she wants to see me first?"

"It would appear so."

"Lead the way, _amigo_."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to reach the arrivals gate. Guillermo handed off Héctor to Sofía, who escorted him to where Coco was waiting.

He knew her smile in an instant. "Papá?"

"Coco!" He gave her a twirling hug and let out the loudest _grito_ he had ever belted out in either of his lives, not caring how many people were around him.

"You have no idea how much I have missed you, _mija_."

"More than I missed you?"

"Much, much more." He squeezed his newly dead daughter and started rustling her hair. "I have tried for so many decades trying to cross the bridge every Día de los Muertos so I could see you again."

"Really?"

" _Sí_. But nobody put my _foto_ on an _ofrenda_ until last year."

"I kept all your letters and your face from our family's _foto_ after Mamá banished all music from our home. And I gave them to Miguel so they would be kept safe."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me, _mija_."

A new feminine voice boomed over all the other voices in the station. "YOU DID WHAT?!"


	9. El Capítulo Nueve

Héctor and Coco whipped around at the sound of the voice.

"Mamá!"

"Imelda!"

The woman marched up to the duo. "You kept all of your Papá's letters and the piece of our _foto_ with his face?!"

" _S-Sí._ "

"And you gave them all to Miguel before you came here?!"

"He was the only one I could trust with them."

Imelda's fist tightened around the piece of pan dulce in her hand, crushing it completely in two. "You _idiota_! Do you realize what you've done?!"

"Mamá, I--"

"Have you forgotten why this family has the rule about 'no music'?!"

"Mamá,--"

"You've put your own great-granson on the road to walking out on the _familia_ , just like this _hijo de_ \--"

Héctor reflexively stuck the detached piece of _pan dulce_ in her mouth. " _Hay niños presentes._ "

Imelda sighed out her nasal cavity and chewed her food before continuing. "That boy is already deep in musical ambitions as it is. Have you learned nothing from your papá?"

"I've learned more than you have. Miguel should be allowed to make what he wants out of his life."

Héctor tried to get a word in. "There's nothing any of us can do about it now."

Imelda grabbed Coco's wrist. "Come. We're going home. Now."

Coco followed after her mother, keeping a grip on her father's wrist.

"And leave that _músico_ here!"

"No!"

Imelda shot daggers out of her eyes. " _¿Qué dijiste?_ "

"I'm not leaving him here!"

"He is dead to this family!"

"We're all dead!"

"Socorro Catalina Rivera-Garcia, you will let go of that man right now, or I will take my boot off!"

"He's staying with me, Mamá! Hate me if you want, but my mind is made up!"

Imelda's lips tightened. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be, I don't want to see your face again. _¡Salgan!_ "

And with that, the baroness of boots spun around on her heel and marched back home alone.

Coco watched her mother disappear down the cobblestone roads with tears forming in her eyes.

Héctor gave his daughter a comforting hug. "There there."

"What am I going to do, Papá?"

"We'll think of something."

"I want to see the rest of _mi familia_ , too."

"You're not alone, _mija_." He put his arm around his shoulder. "I'm sure you can stay at my home until your Mamá opens up to you."

With little other choice, Coco allowed her father to take her to his home.

* * *

Imelda made her way back to her _zapatería_ , pumping herself with angry emotions to drown out her sadness as she prepared to explain Coco's absence from her return journey. She made her way to the front door and stepped inside, where the rest of her _familia_ was hard at work making shoes.

Julio was the first one to notice her. "Where's Coco?"

"There was a mistake," Imelda lied. "It was a different Coco, not our Coco."

"Oh." Julio went back to work.

"She's already at least 100 years old now."

"So, she should be here sometime this year."

"At least before the year's end."

"Or before the next Día de Muertos."

"Because not many people live to be a hundred."

"We certainly haven't."

Victoria slammed the workbench with the shoe she was working on, silencing the twins. "That's enough!"

Rosita went to the kitchen. "So, when do you think Coco will cross over?"

Imelda headed upstairs. "She'll get here when she gets here."

She locked herself in her bedroom, covered herself in blankets, buried her face in the pillows, and cried the ghostly remnants of her heart out.


	10. El Capítulo Diez

Hector led Coco down the steps leading to Shantytown. The newly dead woman was reminded of just how long she had been alive for by the unstable wooden walkway leading down the rocky cliffs below the city streets.

"How much longer, Papá?"

"We're almost there!"

Héctor hopped off the scaffold and dropped down onto the cobblestone path below. His bones scattered around the impact point before coming back together again.

" _¡Híjole!_ Do you always do that when you come here?" Coco opted to climb down the ladders.

Héctor chuckled nervously. " _S_ _í_ , I probably shouldn't scare you like that."

They entered the stone archway and were greeted by cries of "Primo Héctor!"

He returned all the greetings as his daughter looked around confused. "Are these people your family?"

"Not by blood. We're all the ones with no _fotos_ , no _ofrendas_ , no family to go home to. We just call each other _primos_ or _tíos_ or things like that."

"And you live here because Mamá still won't let you be part of the family?"

"And because I didn't have a _foto_ on an _ofrenda_ until last year."

"Where was your ofrenda, Papá?"

"In the attic behind the shoe sign. Your great-grandson made it."

"Oh, Miguel?"

" _S_ _í_. So, who all is in the family?"

" _Bueno_ , you know Mamá and Óscar and Felipe."

" _S_ _í_."

"There's also my husband Julio, his sister Rosita, and our daughter Victoria."

"I got the chance to meet them last Día de Muertos."

"On the living side is my younger daughter Elena, her husband Franco, and their children Berto, Gloria, and Enrique. Berto is married to Carmen, and their children are Abel, Rosa, Manny, and Benny. Enrique is married to Luisa, and their children are Miguel and Socorro."

"And Miguel was the only one you trusted to keep my memory alive?"

"I wanted someone in the family to love music as much as you did, Papá. And Miguel was the only one I was able to sculpt into someone like you."

"You have no idea how happy I am that you were able to keep my memory alive, _mija_."

As they entered the hut with Héctor's name on it, one of the skeletons suddenly convulsed with flashes of yellow and orange.

Héctor ran over to him. "Arturo!"

He panted as he collapsed on the dock. "It's my time..."

Héctor turned to Coco. "Go get my guitar. It should be next to the hammock. _Apúrate_."

Coco was confused, but she complied with her father's order.

By the time she returned, the other skeletons were gathered around Arturo.

Coco handed her father the guitar, which she noticed was built in the same way as the one she had seen Miguel playing before she died.

Héctor quickly tuned the guitar with a pair of pliers before playing a gentle tune.

By the time the song finished, Arturo's bones gained a steady glow before crumbling to dust and vanishing in the wind.

Héctor stood up and put his hat on his chest.

Coco looked at where Arturo had been. "Wait--what happened?"

"He's been forgotten." Héctor returned his hat to his head. "When there's no one in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world. We call it the Final Death."

She picked up the overalls draped over the planks. "Where did he go?"

Héctor shrugged. "No one knows."

"Is there any way we can stop it?"

"Not once your dead, _mija_. Our memories... they have to be passed down by the ones that knew us when we were alive. In the stories they tell about us. But there's no one left alive to pass down Arturo's stories."

Coco gasped. "So, if I hadn't trusted Miguel with your letters and told him what I knew about you,..."

Héctor nodded. "I would've disappeared as soon as you had crossed over to the Land of the Dead."

To say there was dead silence in Shantytown would've been both ironic and a huge understatement.

It was only broken when Héctor shook himself loose. "Hey, the important thing is that there's still someone in the Land of the Living who knows my stories. I'm still safe for the time being. Now, let's get you settled in, shall we?"

* * *

The rest of the dead Riveras did eventually learn of Coco's death. Specifically, the following Día de Muertos. They saw the new _foto_ on the _ofrenda_ , and saw her come to the _hacienda_ to join them for the festivities while Héctor snuck up to his own _ofrenda_ in the attic.

Imelda was unable to persuade him to stay clear of the Rivera compound, mostly because of Coco's adamant refusal to leave him. The rest of the family wanted Coco to stay with them at their home, including Imelda, but matters were complicated by Héctor, whom Imelda didn't want to see.

Everyone was against Coco having to choose between her parents, and Héctor didn't seem too enthused about being a literal skeleton in his daughter's closet. The family did ask Imelda why she tried to cover up leaving Coco at the train station, but she insisted that Coco wouldn't join them without leaving Héctor behind as she wanted her daughter to do.

After several hours of discussions, they were able to reach an agreement.

Coco would be allowed to be with her papá on _Domingos_ when the _zapatería_ was closed, and Imelda would stay inside the _ofrenda_ room for the first two hours of the night each Día de Muertos so that Héctor could reach the _ofrenda_ in the attic without them crossing paths. During those nights, Héctor would only be allowed to talk to Coco, and Coco would be allowed to see whoever she wanted. The rest of the family was satisfied with the bargain as well.

And apart from secretly making her papá a pair of shoes as a _Navidad_ gift, the next few years went by without incident for Coco. Although she really did want the full story of what had stopped Héctor from returning home all those years ago, and there seemed to be parts that even her papá didn't know.


	11. El Capítulo Once

The year was 2026. Miguel was now 21 years old. Over the last nine years, he had compiled all the information he had about his Papá Héctor and used it to write a book. It had been published the year before and dedicated to his now 9-year-old sister, Socorro, whom he set about molding into her namesake, her and Miguel's late great-grandmother Mamá Coco.

Miguel was reluctant to advertise the book, not only because of what his family would've said, (he wrote the book mainly to avoid keeping the secret bottled up without spilling the beans to his family) but also because of how it put Ernesto de la Cruz in a suspicious light. Nobody had been able to unlock the secret of his success, but Miguel had reason to believe that his great-great-grandfather had a hand in that success. He was stopped from investigating the matter further by his promise to Mamá Coco.

So far, the only place that had copies of his book was the Santa Cecilia library, and he had no idea if anyone had touched them. He did, however, secretly use the book to teach his sister how to read. The rest of the family just assumed she was a fast learner.

* * *

Socorro was in her room getting her hair braided by Miguel.

"Guess what today is, _hermanita_?"

"It's Día de los Muertos!"

"That's right! It's a day for being together with our family, living and dead."

"I'm so excited!"

" _Mí también._ "

Miguel looked at himself in the mirror. He had grown up to look just like his Papá Héctor. Same face, same body, same hair, same ears, even the same soul patch on his chin. Of course, the only ones aware of the similarities were those who both met him in person and read his book. And the only person that he knew fit that bill was Socorro.

The family had succeeded in making a shoemaker out of the young man, and his specialty craft proved to be, of all things, chanclas. He still played music in secret along with his sister Socorro, but the only evidence of that was the fact that Papá Héctor's entire body had been ripped out of Mamá Imelda's _foto_. And the family's own taboo against the musician prevented them from figuring out what had happened to it.

That and a pair of special sombreros with ear coverings that Miguel and Socorro had tricked the family into thinking would keep out the sound of music.

Their 81-year-old Abuelita walked into the room. She was using a walker, but she still had the power to effectively wield a chancla.

"Are you almost finished, _mijos_?"

"Just putting on the finishing touches, Abuelita."

"It's almost time for dinner."

"We know."

Miguel finished tying the ribbons at the ends of Socorro's braids and topped off the look with her sombrero before donning his own. "Let's go wash up, and then we can eat!"

* * *

Socorro led the way to the tables, where all the other family members were sitting. Elena and Abel were showing his new wife Patricia the family's ofrenda. Luisa and Gloria were making dinner, and Rosa was running dishes from the kitchen to the courtyard. Benny and Manny were wearing matching tuxedos, and Enrique, Berto, and Carmen were setting the table. Franco was seated at the end of the older adults' table, waiting for dinner to begin. The tables were decorated with _cempazuchitl_ pedals and sugar skulls.

As Socorro walked past the _ofrenda_ room, she could hear her Abuelita talking with Patricia.

"So, now you know why this family does not allow music."

" _Verdad_. It's just seemed to me like your Abuelita was jumping to conclusions about what had happened."

"What do you mean?"

" _Bueno_ , I read a book about that man, and it seems like the family is missing a lot of pieces."

"How do you mean?"

Socorro walked into the room. " _Hola_."

Patricia saw the girl first. " _Oyé_ , you're Miguel's sister, Socorro!"

" _Sí._ "

"I read your brother's book! It was amazing!"

Elena looked quizzically at Patricia. "What book?"

Patricia took out a copy of the book, which sported the complete _foto_ of Imelda, Coco, and Héctor on the front cover. _The Mystery Rivera by Miguel Rivera_.

Elena gasped before taking off her chancla. "MIGUEL ALEJANDRO RIVERA QUINTANA!"

Socorro retreated to the corner as Elena made her way to the courtyard.

* * *

Héctor and Coco made their way through the pedal-littered streets of Santa Cecilia toward the Riveras' _zapater_ _ía_.

"And that's when I learned that in the Land of the Dead, you need a license to operate a catapult."

Coco laughed. "But why did you need the extra femur, Papá?"

"I was using it to test the catapult to see if it would reach the Land of the Living, or if the bridge would catch it."

"Did it work?"

"I never got to figure out; I was arrested before I could use the catapult on myself or even figure out where the femur went."

The discussion got sidetracked by a voice in the courtyard.

"What is this?! You keep secrets from your own family?!"

They rounded the corner to see the entire living family confronting Miguel, and the other dead family members watching from the sidelines.

"It's all that time he spent in the plaza!" Berto huffed.

"It filled his head with crazy fantasies!" Carmen shrieked.

Socorro stepped in to defend her brother. "All he did was write a book! There's nothing wrong with that!"

"A book about that walkaway musician!" Manny rebutted.

"Who left his family to follow his dreams!" Benny added.

"Just because one family member went missing from our lives doesn't mean anyone with a dream will leave their family!"

Rosa pitched in her two cents. "But why take the chance?"

"All the mariachis in _la plaza_ grew up in Santa Cecilia, and they're still with their _familias_! Miguel can still be a musician without going Héctor on us!"

Elena threw her chancla at Socorro. "You do not mention that man, _mujer joven_!"

"Why not?"

"That man's music was a curse!"

Enrique walked up to his children. "Both of you will listen: _no más música_!"

"Papá, I - -"

"End of argument!"

Elena turned to her son. "Enrique, open the well." Then her grandson. "Abel, find where Miguel has all the letters from that _músico_."

Socorro gasped. "You wouldn't!"

"We will not let Miguel end up like that man! Forgotten and left off the family _ofrenda_!"

That's when Socorro snapped. " **Maybe Papá Héctor was right to never come home!** "

Every living and dead soul in the courtyard gasped at the girl's words.

Elena's face tightened with anger as she snatched Socorro's sombrero from her head.

"No!" Socorro grabbed it back, and a tug-of-war quickly ensued.

"Socorro, let go of the sombrero!"

"It's mine!"

"Give it to me!"

"NO!"

"Listen to me!"

" **I DON'T WANT YOU TO TOUCH IT!** "

The exclamation was punctuated by Socorro kicking Elena's walker out from under her and down the open well.

Both females fell to the ground, and the sombrero slipped from Elena's fingers as her head hit the side of the well.

A full three seconds of stunned disbelief enveloped the _hacienda_ on both sides of the veil.

As the gravity of her predicament became apparent, Socorro bolted out the gate with her sombrero pulled over her head.

Miguel and his cousins ran after his sister as the rest of the family tended to the fallen matriarch. "Socorro! Come back!"

Coco and Héctor followed in short order, unsure of what was about to happen.


	12. El Capítulo Doce

Socorro ran toward _la plaza_ with her brother and cousins in hot pursuit. Unknown to all of them, Coco and Héctor were also participating in the chase. Héctor whistled down an alley, summoning Dante to take part in the chase as well. The crowds began to thicken, causing the living people to gradually lose Socorro's trail. She was unable to shake Dante, but she figured it was just because he was a dog.

By the time she reached the gazebo, the only ones still following her were Dante, Coco, and Héctor.

She sat down on a bench to catch her breath, pulled her sombrero down lower over her head, and started searching her pockets.

All she could find was her copy of her brother's book.

Unknown to her, Héctor and Coco sat down next to her.

The girl began talking to the picture on the book's cover. "Papá Héctor... what am I supposed to do?"

Héctor knew she couldn't hear him, but couldn't resist answering. "You really should apologize to your _abuelita_."

"I know you didn't abandon us. I know you would've returned home if you could've. But nobody seems to want to find out what stopped you coming home. I want to find that out however I can."

"I wish there was something I could do about that, too, _mija_."

Her gaze drifted to the guitar in the picture. Then she looked up at the statue of Ernesto de la Cruz in the plaza, then the inscription on the base.

_¡Vive tu momento!_

A final look at the guitar on the book cover sent Socorro walking to the cemetery with her sombrero pulled tightly over head.

* * *

By the time Socorro reached the cemetery, the entire dead family had caught up to her. The twins crossed back over to see if Elena had joined them, while the rest followed the youngest of the Rivera family.

"Where's she going?" Rosita asked.

Coco shrugged. "All I know is that she wants to figure out why Papá never came home."

Héctor nodded. "There's not really anything we can do about it."

Imelda sighed angrily. "I swear, that girl would have a dropped pumpkin for a head if I wasn't dead!"

Victoria looked around. "So, why are we following Socorro? What are we thinking is going to happen?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." Héctor gestured toward Dante. "And maybe the xolo can convince her to go home."

The dog barked at Socorro, trying to pass on his master's message. She responded by tossing a drumstick down the hill to get Dante off her trail, and she continued to trek up to de la Cruz's tomb.

Her peering through the window filled the dead family with foreboding.

Imelda watched her gently rattle the window. "She wouldn't!"

Socorro brought her body back as she watched a firecracker soar into the sky. " _¡Ay, perdón!_ "

Victoria sighed. "She would."

As soon as the firecracker exploded, Socorro thrust herself into the window, shearing the latch off the window and allowing the 9-year-old girl to enter the tomb.

Héctor and Coco went up to the windows and watched as she snuck up to the marble coffin that housed the remains of Ernesto de la Cruz.

"What could she want with your guitar, Papá?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, _mija_."

She hopped up onto the coffin, jarring the lid slightly. As she composed herself, she reached out and touched the guitar's strings before wiping off the layer of dust that had built up on the instrument.

The girl's eyes drifted to the oil painting of the famous mariachi. "Señor de la Cruz? Please don't be mad. I'm Socorro Rivera. My great-great-grandfather, Papá Héctor? He said he used to play with you."

She took hold of the guitar, unaware of the pedals on the floor giving off a faint glow.

"My family thinks music is a curse because Papá Héctor never came home from a music tour. And my brother wants to be a musician just like you. This guitar could be the key to fulfilling our dreams; it could hold the answer to what happened to him." She hopped back down on the floor of the tomb and got ready to play a chord. "My family can shut away music. My family can make us shoemakers. My family can forbid us from talking of Papá Héctor. **But they will never get in the way of me making this life my own!** "

She squeezed her eyes shut and brought her fingers down on the strings with all her might, playing a chord as loud as she could manage.

The pedals around her glowed as bright as a dozen lanterns and blew out in a circle around her.

The dead Riveras stared with dazed confusion, trying to process what they had just witnessed.

The flash from inside the tomb had attracted the attention of a handful of living souls as well.

People started peering inside with flashlights.

"The guitar!"

"It's gone!"

"Somebody stole de la Cruz's guitar!"

"The window's broken!"

Socorro tried to hide from the flashlights and the eyes of the people outside.

But then, the crypt keeper unlocked the gate. "Alright, who's in there?!"

Socorro put the guitar down and stepped out with a sigh and her hands up. "How can this night get any worse?"

To her shock, the guard walked right through her like she was nothing but air.

"There's nobody here!" The guard picked up the guitar. "Check around the back!"

Héctor watched as Socorro staggered out of the tomb, passing through the living people who had gathered to see what happened to the guitar, and trying to comprehend what was happening.

She heard Miguel and Rosa calling out further down the path.

"Socorro!"

"Socorro, where are you?"

"Miguel!" She ran up to her brother and cousin, but she went right through them as she did all the other people in the cemetery.

Neither Rosa nor Miguel reacted to her presence.

"Socorro! Come home!"

Before she knew it, she fell backward into an open grave.

Her sombrero fell on top of her face as she landed.


	13. El Capítulo Trece

Héctor ran up to the grave Socorro had fallen into. " _¡Dios mio!_ Socorro, you can't run off like this!"

Socorro climbed out of the empty grave. "Sorry, Miguel. I just didn't want Abuelita to--"

Her train of thought stopped dead when her eyes met Héctor's.

She screamed.

He screamed as well.

She shuffled back through the grass and ran into another skeleton.

With every new direction she tried to run, another skeleton stood in her path.

They quickly grew more and more dense as they approached her with confusion and fear.

She dove behind a gravestone to hide from all the skeletons.

As she peered out quaking like apples in a truck on potholes, she saw skeletons engaged in various activities. Dancing with one another, taking ghost copies of offerings off graves, and reminiscing fondly on their living family.

It quickly became apparent that she was seeing dead people.

But how was this possible? And why couldn't she interact with any living people?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a dog's tongue on her cheek.

"Dante?! You can see me?!"

The dog ran off toward the middle of the cemetery.

"Wait! What's going on? Dante? Dante!"

She ran into yet another skeleton, scattering his bones all over the place and tumbling to a stop.

She struggled to her feet. "S-Sorry, señor, I--"

The man's skull popped upright. "Socorro?"

His exclamation was echoed by a woman in pink. "Socorro?"

Followed by another. "Socorro?"

Then a woman in blue. "Socorro?"

And a woman in purple. "Socorro?"

"Huh?" As the girl looked to the group, the man pulled himself together.

"You're here? _Here_ here? And you can see us?"

Both women in pink ran through him as they went to give her a hug.

The younger-looking one squeezed the hardest. "Our Coqui-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ta!"

Socorro fought for breath. "Remind me how I know you?"

The older-looking skeleton answered her. "We're your family, _mija_."

They released her, allowing her to assess the spirits surrounding her.

She first assessed the dark-haired skeleton in pink. "Tía... Rosita?"

She gave a smile and a wave. " _Sí._ "

Then the male skeleton, who was once again in one piece. "Papá Julio?"

He waved with a nervous smile. " _Hola._ "

She turned around to the elder-looking skeleton in pink. "Mamá Coco?"

She smiled warmly. " _Buenas noches._ "

She saw the skeleton in blue adjust her glasses. "Tía Victoria?"

She prodded Socorro's cheek. "She doesn't seem entirely dead..."

A girl with a sparkler ran through her.

Rosita laughed nervously. "Sh-She's not quite alive, either."

Two male voices sounded from across the graveyard. " _¡Oyé!_ "

Two identical skeletons ran up to them.

"No sign of Elena."

"She hasn't crossed over."

"She's safe."

"For the time being."

While the others sighed with relief, Socorro took a long look at them. "Tío Óscar? Tío Felipe?"

"Ah. _Hola_ , Socorro." The twins both gasped.

"Alright, that's enough! We need to know what's going on here!"

Socorro gulped at the sound of the last female voice. "M-Mamá Imelda..."

The late matriarch stared down the young girl. "You've got a lot of explaining to do, _mujer joven_."

Héctor found the family at that point. "We need to find Socorro! I think she--"

"We know," they all responded together.

"Oh." He let off an embarrassed laugh. "Let's go see if anyone on the other side knows what's going on."

Imelda started walking to the back end of the graveyard. " _¡V_ _ámonos!_ "

The rest of the family followed after her, with Socorro in the middle and Dante, Coco, and Héctor bringing up the rear.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

As they approached the far end of the cemetery, Socorro saw a large pile of _cempazuchitl_ pedals shaped into a bridge arching through a dark purple fog. Skeletons were walking across the bridge in both directions as though it was made of solid stone. At the point where earthly ground peeked through the pedals, the skeletons transitioned between translucent and intangible to opaque and solid.

Julio turned to see Socorro shy away from the invisible curtain separating the living world from the realm beyond. "Come on, Socorro; it-it's okay."

Héctor gently clasped Socorro by the shoulder and helped her onto the bridge. "There we go."

Socorro stepped along the bridge, marveling at how the pedals fully supported her weight despite being supported by nothing more than air. She picked up a handful of pedals, her attention being drawn to other bridges made of pedals spanning the same expanse of dark purple fog. "Whoa!"

Dante scampered ahead of the family down the bridge.

"Dante? Dante!" Socorro ran after the xolo dog. "You gotta stay with us, boy; we don't know..." she slowed down as the fog began to lift, "where..."

She was greeted with the sight of skyscrapers upon skyscrapers of every shape and size piled together and on top of one another, all of them decorated with more lights than Socorro could count.

She heard the rest of the family catching up to her. "This isn't a dream! You really are all out there!"

"Did you think we weren't?" Coco asked.

" _Yo no sé._ I thought it might have been one of those things that grown ups tell kids, like vitamins."

Victoria sighed. "Socorro, vitamins are a real thing."

"Well, now I'm thinking maybe they could be."

A skeleton girl caught sight of Socorro and gasped.

" _Mija_ , it's not nice to stare at-- _¡_ _Ay!_ _¡Santa Maria!_ "

Socorro pulled her sombrero lower over her face, but soon caught sight of a multicolored creature landing on a stone ledge ahead of them.

"Are those...?" Socorro gasped. "Alebrijes! But those are..."

Óscar nodded. "Real alebrijes."

"Spirit creatures," Felipe added.

"They guide souls on their journeys," Rosita explained.

"Just be careful where you step."

"They leave _caquitas_ everywhere."

The family reached solid ground in the form of a stone walkway and joined the queue of souls returning from the Land of the Living.


	14. El Capítulo Catorce

 

 

 

" _Bienvenidos a la Tierra de los Muertos. Por favor tengan todos ofrendas listo para reingreso._ "

Socorro watched as the spirits ahead of her checked in with the travel agent, presenting the offerings they had collected from the Land of the Living. "So, this is where everybody goes after they die?"

"Sí." Imelda started looking around. "And I don't want to see Elena here tonight."

" _Si usted está teniendo dificultades con sus viajes, los agentes a_ _l Departamento de Reuniones de Familias est_ _án disponibles ayudarlo._ "

Socorro saw other spirits queuing to head to the Land of the Living, getting scanned by a machine that searched for their _fotos_ on _ofrendas_ in the Land of the Living. "And you really do need _fotos_ put up to be able to cross over?"

Héctor nodded. "The bridge won't hold your weight if you try to cross without a _foto_."

" _Y asegurarse de que vuelve antes de amanecer. ¡Disfruta tu visita!_ "

Socorro pointed back the way they came. "So, are all the people crossing this bridge the people with families in Santa Cecilia?"

Héctor nodded. " _Sí._ Each bridge leads to a different city in Mexico."

The girl craned her neck to see a handful of skeletons queuing for a door labeled "Los Recién Llegados". She couldn't see anyone that looked like her Abuelita.

"Next!"

"Oop! It's our turn." Héctor strolled up to the agent's desk. " _Buenas noches_ , Jorge."

" _Buenas noches_ , Héctor. Anything to declare?"

" _Sí_ , actually." He presented Socorro to him.

The young girl smiled nervously. " _Hola..._ "

Jorge's jawbone dropped off his face and hit the desk.

* * *

Soon, a pair of officers were escorting the Riveras to the Department of Family Reunions. All the while, skeletons were gawking at Socorro with wide eyes and gasps.

Coco looked wistfully at her _bisanieta_. "I miss my ears."

They soon reached the DFR lobby, where skeletons were busy trying to sort out their travel issues with various agents. The officers led them to a desk toward the back of the lobby, presenting Socorro to the case worker.

The agent struggled to stifle a shriek. "H-Have a seat just over here, _por favor_."

Socorro complied, pulling her sombrero over her head as far as she could.

Imelda talked to the agent while Coco and Héctor sat with Socorro.

"We'll get this sorted out soon."

" _Gracias_ , Miguel." Socorro covered her mouth in embarrassment. "I-I mean, Papá Héctor."

Héctor and Coco shared bemused glances.

After two minutes of waiting, a clerk emerged from the office overlooking the waiting room. "Are you the Rivera family?"

* * *

The family gathered inside the office as the clerk sat down at his desk.

The clerk looked to Socorro. "Welp, you're cursed."

"WHAT?!"

The clerk sifted through the stack of papers on his desk. "El Día de Muertos is a day to give to the dead," he pulled out a slip from the stack, "and you stole from the dead!"

"B-But I wasn't stealing the guitar!"

"Yes, you were," Coco's parents responded simultaneously.

"It was Papá Héctor's; he would've wanted it returned to his family!"

"You didn't ask me."

Dante started sniffing the clerk's desk.

"I was asking de la Cruz."

The clerk sneezed. " _Perdóname_ , who's alebrije is that?"

Héctor laughed nervously. "That would be mine."

Socorro noticed that Dante did indeed sport the colors and even the wings of an alebrije. "When did that happen?"

"Could you set him outside? I'm--" the clerk sneezed again, "--terrible allergic."

Héctor complied with the clerk's request.

"How can you be allergic to a hairless dog?"

The clerk taped his glasses to his face. "The same way I can sneeze despite having no nose." He sneezed again.

Victoria watched her _abuelito_ leave the office. "So, how do we send her back home?"

"Well, seeing as this is a family matter, the way to--"

"So, the guitar really does belong to Papá Héctor!"

The clerk frowned at the interruption. "As I was saying, the way to undo a family curse is to get your family's blessing."

Héctor had walked back into the office. "That's it?"

" _Sí_ , get your family's blessing, and everything should go back to normal. But you need to do it by sunrise."

"What happens at sunrise?"

" _¡_ _Híjole!_ " Julio gasped. "Your hand!"

Socorro looked and saw that the bones in one of her fingers were now visible. "AAH!"

She flexed the finger in question before fainting.

Coco caught her and shook her awake. "Whoa there! We can't have you fainting on us!"

"But not to worry. Your family's here, so you can get your blessing right now."

Imelda approached the clerk. "So, what needs to be done?"

"First, we need a _cempazuchitl_ pedal."

Socorro found one wedged under her sleeve. "One of these?"

" _Sí._ " The clerk turned to Imelda. "Now, with the pedal, you look at the living and say her name."

Imelda complied, her voice possessing all the emotion of a flour tortilla. "Socorro."

"Nailed it. Now say 'I give you my blessing.'."

Imelda repeated the words, the tortilla filling itself with white rice. "I give you my blessing."

As the pedal began to glow, the rice became filled with beans and salsa.

"I give you my blessing to go home,..."

Then topped with shredded cheese.

"...to apologize to your living _familia_ ,..."

Before finishing off with diced habañero peppers.

"...AND TO PUT AN END TO YOUR BROTHER PLAYING MUSIC!"

"WHAT?!" Socorro looked to the clerk. "Sh-She can't do that!"

"Well, technically, she can add whatever condition she wants."

Socorro heaved a sigh. "Fine."

"And then you give the pedal to Socorro."

The two reached for each other, and as soon as Socorro's fingers touched the pedal, she was whisked back into de la Cruz's tomb.

Socorro felt herself all over before looking out the window. "No skeletons!"

Her eyes drifted to the guitar, and she immediately hopped back up on the marble coffin.

"No more cold nights alone for you." She plucked the guitar from its mount and ran for the exit.

She only got 3 steps before slamming into the desk in the Land of the Dead.


	15. El Capítulo Quince

Socorro spun around in time to see her dead family notice her reappearance.

Imelda marched right up to the girl. " _Dos segundos_ , and already you've broken your promise!"

"I was just taking Papá Miguel's guitar back where it belongs."

"First of all, my name is Héctor, not Miguel. Second, she specifically asked that your brother stop playing music, and bringing a guitar back home is not going to make that happen."

Socorro shoved her way past Imelda. "This isn't fair! It's my life! You've already had yours!" She found a pedal lying on the floor.

"Papá Julio, I ask for your blessing." He pulled his hat over his face.

"Tía Rosita?" She shied away from the pedal.

"Óscar? Felipe?" They tried to hide behind each other.

"Tía Victoria?" She just shook her head.

"Mamá Coco?" She immediately reached for the pedal.

Imelda snatched it away before her daughter could reach it. "Don't make this hard, _mija_. You go home my way or no way."

The two Cocos gazed with betrayed faces. "Y-You really hate music that much?"

"I will not let you or your brother go down the same path he did!" Imelda pointed to Héctor.

Coco's face hardened into a sneer as she pulled her _bisanieta_ toward her. "You've gone too far this time, Mamá! She's living her life the way she wants, and you have no right to take that away from her!"

With that, she stormed out of the office with Socorro and her father in tow.

The rest of the family remained frozen in shock at what they just witnessed.

The silence was broken by Victoria. "She's not going to make it home until the last possible second, isn't she?"

* * *

Socorro struggled to keep up with Coco as she dragged her and Héctor through the train station.

"Where are we going?"

"We can't let Mamá put an end to having music in your life!"

She caught a glimpse of the rest of the family talking to a police officer, and pulled her sombrero tighter over her head.

" _Tenemos una familia buscando una n_ _iña viva._ "

Héctor took Socorro's shoulder. "We need to find a place where we can hide."

Coco spotted a phone booth and pushed them all inside.

"Okay, look, all we need to do is find a pedal, and either you or Miguel can--"

" _Héctor._ "

"Sorry. You look and sound just like my brother. Anyway, if we just get a pedal, I can go back home without having to give up music or make Miguel give up music."

"Just don't try to steal the guitar again, even if it did belong to me."

"What do you think will happen if Elena found it?"

Socorro sighed. "I just thought it might have some sort of clues about what stopped you from coming home."

"I hadn't touched it in over a century; what kind of answers would you expect to find?"

"I dunno." Socorro found her copy of her brother's book in her pocket. "I mean, there's too much stuff about you and Ernesto that isn't making sense." That's when an idea struck her. "Maybe we can find Ernesto and ask him about what he knows about you."

"You want t-to - to - to do WHAT?!" Héctor's eyes dropped into his mouth.

Socorro reeled in disgust.

Héctor punched his eyes back into place. "Wait wait wait wait wait... you want us to go prancing around the Land of the Dead to try and find a famous singer who we might not reach before sunrise?"

Socorro stepped out of the phone booth. "Well, as long as we stay together and have some pedals we can use, I can go back home whenever I want."

Coco followed her out. "But where do you expect to find any?"

Héctor closed the booth door behind him. "Well, all the flower shops sell _cempazuchitl_ flowers, so that takes care of that."

A voice echoed from across the station. "SOCORRO!"

She gasped and grabbed Héctor and Coco by the wrists before running out the door.

She stopped when she heard snaps and realized the arms in her hands had become detached.

" _¡_ _Espéranos, chiquita!_ " Héctor reclaimed his arm and waited for his daughter to get hers back on before following Socorro into the street.

They disappeared with Dante at their heels as the rest of the family burst out the door.

Imelda paused to catch her breath. " _¡Ay!_ She's going to get herself killed! I need my spirit guide! Pepita!"

She whistled for the alebrije, who was sleeping on the roof of the Rivera _zapateria_.

The giant winged jaguar hopped down to the train station entrance and glided to where her mistress was standing.

"Who has that pedal Socorro touched?"

Julio presented it. "N-Nice alebrije..."

Pepita sniffed the pedal and immediately started sniffing the cobblestones ahead of the family.

* * *

Héctor and the two Cocos stopped under a bridge to catch their breath.

"Okay. I managed to get a couple petals, so we can send you home now."

Socorro nodded. "I still want to find out why you never came home, Miguel."

Héctor facepalmed. "Would you stop calling me that, _por favor_?"

"Sorry, Papá Héctor. It's hard when you look and sound just like my brother."

He sat down on a crate, his daughter and _tataranieta_ sitting on their own crates. "Well, you see, Socorro, this place runs on memories. When you're well remembered, people put up your _fotos_ , and you get to cross the flower bridge and visit the Land of the Living on Día de los Muertos."

Coco nodded. "People in this world keep the appearances they had on their last day alive."

"So, that must mean you died when you were Miguel's age?"

Héctor nodded. "Such a smart girl."

"And you never came home because you were dead?"

The man sighed sadly. " _S_ _í._ "

Socorro fished two tins of shoe polish from her pockets; one black, one white. "I think we need to find Ernesto de la Cruz and ask him some questions."

Héctor took possession of them. "Play a little game of Sherlock Holmes, eh?"

Socorro shrugged. "I guess."

Héctor prepared to paint Socorro's face. "Like I said, de la Cruz is a tough guy to get to, and you need to get back home before sunrise, _mijita_. So, don't count on this mission being successful."


	16. El Capítulo Dieciséis

Héctor led the way down the street as he skimmed through Socorro's book with gusto. "So, your brother wrote an entire book about me?"

Socorro checked the ear covers on her sombrero to ensure they were in place. " _Sí_. He actually taught me how to read with that."

"He must have been a very good teacher, then."

Socorro nodded. "He and I would sneak out to Mariachi Plaza all the time. He would play a guitar he made all by himself, and I would sing the songs you wrote."

"Just like me and Imelda before I went on that music tour?"

" _Sí_. He also wants to know why you never came home, but he promised Mamá Coco that he would keep all the letters and your _foto_ safe from the rest of the familia, so he's afraid to look for answers and risk having the others find out."

"Is that why he wrote that book?"

" _Sí_. It was so he wouldn't have to keep the secrets bottled up, and also to ensure that nothing can happen to Papá Héctor's memories."

"Hey! You got my name right this time!" Héctor suddenly noticed that Socorro was walking with bouncing steps, as if there were springs on her heels. "Eh, what are you doing?"

"I'm walking like a skeleton so I can blend in."

"Eh, skeletons don't walk like that, _mijita_."

"It's how you walk."

"No, I don't."

"Papá hasn't been remembered for a long time, so he doesn't recover as easily as the rest of the _familia_."

Socorro noticed all the twine and duct tape holding Héctor's bones together. "Ah. I see." Her attention soon drifted to a large billboard. "Ernesto de la Cruz's Sunrise Spectacular?"

Héctor heaved a sigh. "Every year, Ernesto puts on a dumb show to mark the end of Día de los Muertos."

"So, if we get tickets for the show, we can talk to Ernesto about what he knows about you?"

Héctor grimaced. "Not... quite."

Coco nodded. "He's not going to let just anyone talk to him during the show. And you need to get home _before_ sunrise."

"So, do either of you have any ideas on where we can find him?"

Héctor stroked his chin. " _Bueno_ , I do know that Frida Kahlo will be performing the opening act."

"Frida Kahlo?" Socorro gasped. "You mean _the_ Frida Kahlo?"

" _Sí_. I'll take you to the rehearsal hall."

Socorro followed after Héctor, Coco, and Dante with wide eyes.

* * *

The rest of the deceased Riveras followed Pepita as she sniffed after Socorro's trail.

Imelda watched as the giant jaguar sniffed along a row of garbage barrels. "She couldn't have gone far. Keep looking."

Rosita looked to her brother and niece. "I do hope we find Coco soon; I have so many questions for her."

Julio nodded. "It's not like her to defy her mamá like that."

"I have a feeling it has something to do with Abuelito."

"She told me about him every night when I was alive. But I didn't want to get her hopes up that her papá hadn't abandoned his family."

"Abuelito has been tearing the family apart in life and in death. Why would Mamá choose him over the rest of the family?"

Her father laughed nervously. " _Bueno_ , Mamá Imelda did kind of hold Socorro in a tight spot with going back home."

"Even so, the rest of the living family would be against Socorro singing, especially since she might have put Elena on an early train here."

"At least she made it as far as Julio."

"So, she has that to be proud of."

"Even if her death wasn't from old age."

"Or from a natural disease."

"But there are worse ways to die."

"And we can name a few."

"Will you two cut that out?!"

The twins gulped. "Sorry, _hermana_."

That's when something occurred to Rosita. "Did anyone else notice that Miguel looks almost exactly like Coco's papá?"

Óscar pondered this. "They do look quite similar."

As did Felipe. "They even sound the same."

"And act the same way."

"There's hardly any difference."

"Apart from Miguel having flesh."

"Though not much of it."

"That's enough!" Victoria took a calming breath. "Even if the implications of this are true, that still doesn't absolve Abuelito of the pieces he left us to pick up."

"What do you mean, _mija_?"

"Music still tore the family apart because he lost his life while pursuing music."

"You do realize that you also died away from home? In _México_ City, no less."

" _No me recuerdes, Papá._ And we can thank Elena for finding out what happened to me."

Rosita was still confused. "But why did _la familia_ know about your death but not your abuelito's?"

"Probably because there were _un ciento y sesenta y seis_ other people that died with me. And it was _mil novecientos ochenta y seis_ , so news of what killed me spread a lot faster."

"And you were going to Puerto Vallarta to see if Rivera Shoes had any potential in America."

Rosita pondered this. "So then, Coco's papá must have died alone or in a way that wasn't all that notable."

Julio nodded. "I remember reading about Ernesto de la Cruz's death in the newspapers shortly after Viquita was born."

"But he was already a famous musician and actor before the bell fell on him."

"At any rate," Rosita bit her jawbone in worry, "I'm starting to wonder if Mamá Imelda is missing some details about Papá Héctor."

"I still don't know if I'm willing to trust Abuelito or not for everything that's happened because of his disappearance."

"We can ask questions once we find them and Socorro is sent home." Julio peered toward Imelda as she was led under a bridge. "But why did Elena go looking for you when you never came home, while Mamá Imelda never made any effort to look for Papá Héctor when he never came home?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering about my headcanon on Victoria's death:  
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexicana_Flight_940


	17. El Capítulo Diecisiete

"So, I take it Mamá Coco managed to convince the rest of the family to let you back in?"

"Not exactly. They still want nothing to do with me, but the only way Coco will be part of the family is if she's allowed to see me."

"Ah. And she's the exact opposite of you in terms of being the family favorite?"

" _Exactamente_ _._ " Héctor plucked his arm off and shot it archery-style up a fire escape with his suspenders.

The arm landed on a windowsill before knocking on the window and waving.

A few seconds later, a woman with red curly hair opened the window. "What do you want this time, Héctor?"

"I'll tell you when we get up there."

Coco waved to the woman. " _Hola_ , Ceci!"

Ceci lowered the fire escape, allowing the trio to climb inside.

"Do you know this woman?" Socorro asked Coco.

"Cecilia Rodriguez?"

Socorro recognized that name. "Oh, she's the one who made your wedding dress!"

"I also borrowed a few things from her for ways to cross the bridge before Coco died."

Socorro climbed in the window. " _Hola_."

Dante followed her inside, then Coco, and finally Héctor.

"Okay, so, here's what we need." Héctor put a hand on Socorro's shoulder. " _Mi tataranieta_ has gotten herself cursed, and she has some questions to ask Ernesto de la Cruz before I give her a blessing to go home. I was wondering if Frida was around to talk to."

Ceci looked quizzically at Socorro. "What do you mean 'cursed'?"

Socorro lifted one of the flaps on her ear. "My brother wrote a book about Papá Héctor, and there were some details about him and de la Cruz that weren't making sense."

Ceci gasped. "You're still alive, _niña_?!"

" _Oyé_ , everything's under control." Héctor fished a pedal from his pocket. "We have until sunrise to get her back to the Land of the Living."

While Héctor and Ceci continued talking, Dante started sniffing around the studio.

The two Cocos followed the Xolo alebrije, passing an unclothed skeleton posing for a painter. Coco pulled her _bisanieta_ along when Socorro paused to try to figure out if she should be seeing that.

After a few moments, Dante stumbled upon a spider-monkey alebrije, which started riding him like a horse and leading him on a chase through the studio before hopping on the shoulders of a skeleton standing before an incomplete painting.

She turned when she heard the two Cocos approaching short of breath. "You! How did you get in here?!"

"Papá led us in through the back window."

Socorro noticed the unfinished painting was a self-portrait. "Are you Frida Kahlo?"

"Yes, it is I." Her eyes drifted to Dante. "Oh, the mighty Xolo dog! Guider of wandering spirits!"

"I think this is Papá Héctor's alebrije."

"Ah ah ah. The alebrijes of this world assume many forms, and can guide many spirits at any time." The spider-monkey alebrije climbed on the painter's shoulders, changing colors and breathing fire as it did so. "They are as mysterious as they are powerful."

Coco leaned toward Socorro. "Papá told me that alebrijes reflect the personas of those they guide."

Frida whisked the two girls to a large open space. "Come! I need your eyes!"

She sat the two Cocos down on a bench and retreated a few steps to the edge of the light.

She clapped twice, and all the lights went out. "Darkness!" Frida struck a match. "And from the darkness,..." two spotlights illuminated two mountains, "...two tall peaks! On one peak rests a giant merlin," the left spotlight adjusted to reveal a giant hawk perched on the mountain top, "who is me! On the other rests the mighty golden eagle," the right spotlight adjusted to reveal a giant eagle perched atop the other mountain top, "who is also me!"

Socorro watched as the birds' chests slammed open.

"Dancers emerge from the hearts of the birds, and the dancers... are all me!"

The dancers turned their faces to the audience to reveal themselves to be likenesses of Frida.

"Dancers from the merlin fall from the mountain as they try to reach the golden eagle... until the dancers from the eagle's perch come to help them over the abyss!"

The dancers performed trapeze flips across a tightrope strung between the two mountains, and the merlin's dancers made trapeze swings off the eagle's dancers to the other side.

Frida glanced to the two Cocos. "Is it too obvious?"

Socorro wasn't sure what to say. "I... think it's... just the right amount of obvious?" She started thinking about things she could add. "Maybe if you added some music?"

Frida nodded in contemplation.

"So, when the birds appear, you can do something like 'Boooon! Doon doon doon doooon!'"

Frida snapped her fingers toward the orchestra, and they repeated the melody.

"Then when the dancers try to get across but fall off the mountain, you can do 'Doon dododoon doon! BOM BOM!'"

The orchestra repeated the melody.

"And when the other dancers come to the rescue, how about 'Jat tatatah tah! WHOM WHOM!'"

The notes bounced back via the orchestra, with the tromboner providing the ending flare.

Frida gasped with inspiration. "And what if there was fire all around them?!"

The dancers gawked in horror.

"Yes! Fire all around! Inspired!" Frida rubbed Socorro's shoulder. "You have the spirit of an artist!"

" _Gracias_."

Frida turned her attention back to her setup. "The dancers exit, the music fades, and Ernesto de la Cruz rises to the stage..."

Socorro watched as a figure on a platform rose up from the floor. As it stopped, the spotlight came on to reveal...

...a mannequin made of fruit shaped like Ernesto.

Frida finished off with a sigh. "And then he does a couple of songs, and the sun rises, and everyone cheers."

"I guess you're more fond of art than music, huh?"

Frida shook her head. "No, it's because Ernesto doesn't do rehearsals. What, with him hosting a fancy party at the top of his tower."

Socorro saw the tower in question out the window, and she started thinking of a new plan.


	18. El Capítulo Dieciocho

Héctor entered the studio. " _¡_ _Mijitas!_ You can't run off on me like that! Come on, stop pestering the celebrities."

Socorro resisted Héctor's attempts to pull her away from the window. "You said we need to find de la Cruz before sunrise, right?"

" _Sí._ "

"He's having a party at his tower, so if we go there, we won't have to wait until the concert to talk to him."

Héctor saw the tower in question. "That bum! Who doesn't show up to his own rehearsal?"

"What do you mean?"

"The guy can't just expect to be performance worthy without preparing himself."

Coco began to grow suspicious. "That is strange. We really do need to talk to him."

Héctor looked to the orchestra. " _¡_ _Oyé!_ Gustavo! Do you know anything about this party?"

The violinist chuckled. " _Sí_ , it's the hot ticket! But if you're not on the list, you're never getting in, Chorizo!"

The cello player turned to look at Héctor. " _¡_ _Oyé!_ It's Chorizo!"

The entire orchestra burst out laughing, with the trombone player letting off a teasing riff.

" _Ja ja_ , very funny, guys," Héctor grumbled.

Socorro was confused. "Chorizo?"

Gustavo snickered. " _¡_ _Oyé!_ This guy's famous! Go on, ask him how he died!"

Socorro was befuddled that people could make jokes about how people died.

Héctor let off a heavy sigh. " _No quiero hablarlo._ "

"He choked on a chorizo!" The musicians laughed again with the same trombone riff.

"Um... how is that funny?"

"I didn't choke, okay? It was food poisoning; there's a big difference!"

Coco patted Socorro's shoulder. "Someday when you're older, _mija_."

Héctor ground his teeth together. "This is why I hate musicians. They're all self-important jerks!"

"You are a musician, Miguel."

" _Papá Héctor!_ "

"S-Sorry!"

Gustavo shrugged. " _Bueno_ , if you really want to get to Ernesto, there is a music competition in La Plaza de la Cruz; the winner gets to play at his party."

Héctor could see the wheels turning in Socorro's head. "No! _¡_ _Chiquita!_ You are _loco_ if you think--"

"We need to find de la Cruz and ask him what he knows about you."

Héctor sighed with resignation. "I'll get my guitar."

* * *

As soon as Héctor, Dante, and the two Cocos were gone from the studio, the rest of the Riveras arrived led by Pepita.

"Have you found her, Pepita?" Imelda asked. "Have you found our girl?"

Pepita looked up the fire escape at the back of the studio and gave a soft growl.

Ceci threw the window open. "Keep it down out there!" She immediately noticed Imelda on Pepita's back. "Imelda? What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for my husband and daughter."

Ceci lowered the fire escape for the family.

* * *

"Alright, let's play a game. Every time you call me Miguel adds one more time that you have to tell your family you love them when you get your blessing."

Socorro was too busy looking through her book to pay any attention to her _tatarabuelo_. "How unlucky do you have to be to die from eating chorizo just as you're starting to head home?"

"I don't know what else to tell you, _mijita_." Héctor started to jump off the catwalk, but suddenly changed his mind and took the ladders.

"I just wish that Mamá tried to find out what happened to you like Elena went looking for Victoria when she never came home from her vacation to Puerto Vallarta."

Socorro pocketed her book so she could climb down the ladder. "I wonder what Mamá Imelda thinks of Miguel since he's almost exactly the same person as Papá Héctor."

Héctor whistled through the open archway into the ghetto, and skeletons began emerging from within, greeting him with cries of " _Primo_ Héctor!"

Socorro looked around as Héctor returned everyone's greetings. "So, this is where you live, huh?"

Coco nodded. "Mamá won't let him live with us, and I spent the first six months after my death here because I didn't want to leave Papá behind."

Héctor picked up the storytelling. "These people are all the ones with no _fotos_ , _ofrendas_ , or families to go home to; almost forgotten." He grabbed a loaf of _pan dulce_ and broke it into several pieces, passing them out to some women playing canasta.

Socorro watched a frog-rabbit alebrije cross Dante's path before jumping into the water below them.

Héctor kept the end piece for himself and retreated to his bungalow to retrieve his guitar.

While he was inside, one of the women started talking to Socorro. "It's always a sad sight, seeing a child in the Land of the Dead."

"Well, actually, I got myself cursed from trying to bring Papá Héctor's guitar back home. He wants to give me his blessing to go home as soon as possible, but..." she showed her the book in her hand, "...I thought this would be a good opportunity to find answers about why he never came home from his music tour."

" _Sí_ , he's made a name for himself with his attempts at crossing the bridge every Día de los Muertos, and he's borrowed a lot of things from his old roommate as part of those schemes."

Coco nodded. "Papá told me all about them. My favorite one was when he tried to build a hang glider out of napkins."

"Mine was when he tried to disguise himself as an alebrije."

"What about when he tried to mail himself over the bridge in a mini-fridge? I'm surprised he managed to fit in there!"

Héctor came back out with the guitar Miguel offered him nine years earlier. "Alright, I got my guitar. _¡_ _V_ _ámonos!_ "

As they turned to leave, one of the skeletons suddenly began to flicker, and she collapsed to the floor.

Héctor ran to her floor. "Tía Chelo!"

She started panting. "This is it... I'm not long for this world..." Her eyes drifted to Héctor. " _Por favor_... play me a song..."

Héctor grabbed a pair of pliers and tuned the guitar. "Any requests?"

Chelo chuckled. "You know _mi favorito_."


	19. El Capítulo Diecinueve

Héctor plucked the opening notes of the song.

" _Qu_ _é deseo sentir tu tacto...  
con nada pero sonido entre nos...  
_ _con la luz de la luna sobre nos...  
como tus..._ojos _tan_ _redondos.._ _._ "

Chelo was confused by the deviation until she noticed the two Cocos.

" _Si solo he sabido...  
_ _que el viaje sería en vano,...  
_ _he nunca haber buscado_ _paraíso...  
_ _y te ponido por infierno._ "

Chelo let off a soft laugh. "Brings back memories. _Gracias_..."

Everyone watched as her bones gained a steady glow before crumbling to dust and drifting off into the wind.

Héctor removed his hat and put it over his chest.

Dante could be heard whimpering in a far corner.

Socorro's eyes remained fixed on the spot where Chelo had been. "Wait - what happened?"

"She's been forgotten." One of the other women started picking up the cards. "When there's no one left in the living world who remembers you, you disappear from this world. We call it the Final Death."

"But where did she go?"

Coco shrugged. "No one knows."

"B-But I've met her! I can remember her when I go back--"

"No, it doesn't work like that, _mijita_. Our memories,... they have to be passed down by those who knew us in life, through the stories they tell about us. But there's no one left alive to pass down Chelo's stories."

Coco nodded. "Papá is still here because I trusted Miguel to keep his letters safe."

Socorro was lost for words.

Héctor massaged her shoulder. "Hey, it happens to everyone eventually. Now, how about that competition, eh?"

With that, Héctor and his girls headed out of Shantytown.

* * *

Minutes later, their presence was replaced by that of the rest of the family.

A bearded skeleton at a campfire was the first to see them. " _Oyé, ¿cómo estás?_ "

" _Buenas noches_ , Señora Rivera."

"If you're looking for Héctor and Coco, they're on their way to a music competition."

"We're also looking for a living girl."

"About nine."

" _Sí_ , they left about _diez minutos_ ago."

"And you said they were bound for a music competition?"

The residents all nodded.

Julio thought about where they might have been headed. "Why do you think they're going to a music competition?"

Victoria shrugged. "Especially since they know we're out looking for them."

Rosita looked around. "Does anyone know where this music competition is?"

They were met with shrugs. "The living girl did say that she wanted to figure out what kept Primo Héctor from returning home."

Imelda was befuddled. "And how would being in a music competition get her any answers?"

Victoria suddenly remembered how Socorro managed to cross over. "Maybe she's trying to get to Ernesto de la Cruz."

The rest of the family responded with confusion.

"She said the guitar from de la Cruz's mausoleum belonged to Abuelito. If that's true, she's probably gone looking for him to ask him if he knows anything about Abuelito not coming back home."

"What are you getting at, _mija_?"

"If the music competition's prize is getting to meet de la Cruz in person, then Mamá, Socorro, and Abuelito are probably going to enter it."

"But where is the music competition?"

"We can't find them if we don't know where they've gone."

Imelda looked to Pepita. "We'll find their trail soon enough."

* * *

Socorro looked out over the cable trolley's railing. "So, that thing you said about cursed spirits not helping the nearly forgotten. Is that why the dead are so scared of living people in the Land of the Dead?"

Héctor tried to play a riff on his guitar. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You said that it's cheating to remember people by going to the Land of the Dead and meeting them."

He stroked his chin. " _Bueno_ , I suppose if you put it that way,... but no, it's just that cursed spirits are a rare event. In all the time I've been dead, I've only heard of three such incidents. Only one of them made it back before sunrise, and that's how I found out about the whole 'cheating remembrance' thing."

"Did you try to get them to remember you when they went back?" Coco asked.

" _Sí_. I knew it didn't work because my bones remained just as yellow after she was sent back."

Socorro shuddered at the fate of the two unlucky souls. "So, am I the third or fourth cursed spirit during your after-lifetime?"

"Fourth." Héctor prepared to dismount the trolley. "Welcome to La Plaza de la Cruz!"

The trio hopped down to the cobblestone pavement and began wading through the masses of partygoers gathered in the plaza. There were souvenir vendors, dancers, and skeletons lighting firecrackers.

Socorro spotted the stage in time to see it roar to life.

A skeleton with blue hair appeared. " _¡Bienvenidos a todos!_ Who's ready for some _música_? It's a battle of the bands, and the winner gets to play for _El Maestro_ himself, Ernesto de la Cruz, at his _fiesta_ tonight!"

Héctor ushered his girls behind the stage. "Hopefully it's not too late to sign up."

The announcer concluded the introduction. "Let the competition begin!"

One by one, the competitors presented their musical talents (or lack thereof) to the audience.

Héctor sat down with the two Cocos. "So, what's the plan?"

Socorro was sifting through the songs in her book. "I'm looking, I'm looking."

Several contestants nearby were practicing covers of "Remember Me".

Coco grimaced. "That's one song we can cross off the list."

Héctor nodded. "Agreed."

Socorro continued searching the book. "How about... 'Poco Loco'?"

Héctor and Coco both beamed. "That's a good song."

The stagehand looked at his clipboard. "Los Tres Campeches, you're on standby; Los Chachalacos, you're on now."

A band of skeletons dressed in pink made their way onto the stage, receiving the audience's first cheers. "Los Chachalacos!"

They struck up the music, delighting the crowd with their performance.


	20. El Capítulo Veinte

Socorro watched the performance from behind the stage, anxious about going up to perform.

Héctor massaged her shoulder. "Are you always this nervous before a performance?"

"Not really. When Miguel and I went to the plaza, we were just playing for ourselves; we weren't playing to please a crowd."

"Ah. You two weren't trying to be the best _m_ _úsicos en la plaza_ , right?"

"Were you scared of _la familia_ finding out, or...?"

" _Un poco_. You remember what Abuelita said about music in our house, right?"

Coco remembered her daughter's words well. "Only when Santa Cecilia ceases to worship Ernesto de la Cruz will the Riveras allow a musician near their home."

Héctor chuckled at the sentiment. "Alright, so we just need to get you pumped up for the stage."

"Papá taught me to play the guitar in the time since I died, so one of us can play while you sing."

"Okay, first you just need to loosen up." Héctor held his arms out and shook himself like a wet dog.

Socorro mimicked his actions as best as her remaining flesh and blood would allow.

"Alright, now give me your best _grito_."

"My best _grito_?"

"Go on, belt it out!" Héctor let a _grito_ loose as he spun around atop his crate. "Whoo, that felt good!"

Socorro took a deep breath and tried to do a _grito_ , but was stifled by the pressure of what was to come. Even Dante shied away at the girl's attempt.

Coco massaged her _bisanieta_ 's hand. "Deep breaths, _mija_."

Soon, the band on stage finished up, and Héctor and the two Cocos were up. "Los Tres Campeches, you're on now!"

Héctor shouldered his guitar and wrapped his arm around Socorro. "You can do this, _mijita_. Just close your eyes and pretend you're playing for someone you love."

Socorro nodded as the contest announcer presented them to the audience.

Coco led her to the microphone. "Any time you're ready, _mija_."

As her late ancestors got into position, Socorro closed her eyes and took a calming breath, imagining herself in _la plaza_ with her brother.

She sucked in as much air as she could before belting out a high-pitched _grito_.

The audience applauded, and Coco started up on the guitar. Socorro followed the tune with her own voice.

" _Que el cielo no es azul, ¡ay mi amor, ay mi amor!_  
 _Que es rojo, dices tú, ¡ay mi amor, ay mi amor!_  
Ves todo al revés, ¡ay mi amor, ay mi amor!  
Creo que piensas con los pies, ¡ay mi amor, ay mi amor!"

" _Tú me traes un poco loco, un poqui-ti-ti-to loco  
Estoy adivinando, qué quieres y pa' cuando  
Y así estoy celebrando...  
que me he vuelto un poco loco!_"

As the audience bounced with the music, none of them noticed a giant winged jaguar enter the plaza through the entrance behind them.

Imelda looked around. "This must be it. She can't be far."

" _Chiflado tú me vuelves, y eso está un poco loco;_ "

" _Tu mente que despega, tú siempre con_ _ideas;_ "

" _Con mi cabeza juegas... todo es un poco_ _loco!_ "

Socorro and Héctor tossed _gritos_ back and forth as Coco sang the background chorus of " _Todo es un poco loco con mi cabeza juegas_ "

The other Riveras started swimming through the audience, asking members if they had seen a living girl, to no avail.

" _Un poqui-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-to loco!_ "

With a final _grito_ , Héctor and Socorro whipped up the song's ending flare.

The audience erupted with applause, and the three peasants took a bow.

Coco patted her _bisanieta_ on the shoulder as they retreated behind the curtain. "You sing just like Mamá used to sing."

"My, I'm just flattered."

"Mamá?"

"Imelda?"

"Mamá Imelda!"

"This nonsense ends now, Socorro. I am giving you my blessing, and you are going home."

"I don't want your blessing!" Socorro pushed past Imelda and ran for a stairwell.

"Socorro! Where are you going?"

"I'll meet you guys at de la Cruz's tower!"

Héctor and Coco watched as Imelda headed off in the other direction where Pepita was.

At the same time, the contest announcer appeared onstage. " _Damas y caballeros_ , I have an emergency announcement. Please be on the lookout for a living girl; she answers to the name of Socorro. Earlier tonight, she ran away from her family; they just want to send her home to the Land of the Living."

* * *

Socorro emerged from the bottom of the stairwell, catching sight of de la Cruz's tower. She immediately ran toward it, pausing only to dodge a trolley on a track crossing her path. She slid down a water pipe and sprinted across the open pavement.

She was stopped when Pepita landed right in front of her.

Socorro ran into the nearest alley as Imelda slid down from Pepita's back.

"Socorro! Stop!"

The girl threw the door open and bolted up the stairs.

"Come back!"

Socorro gasped as she noticed a locked gate in her path.

"Socorro!"

She took off her sombrero and squeezed through the bars of the gate.

Imelda reached the gate, but was unable to reach Socorro. "I am trying to save your life!"

Socorro stopped to catch her breath. "I know you are. But I don't want to have to give up music to stay alive."

"What?"

"Are you just using me to keep Papá Héctor away from our home?"

Imelda was lost for words for a moment before heaving a sigh. "You wouldn't understand."

Socorro pulled out her book. "Are you just scared to admit your true feelings about Papá Héctor?"

"What are you talking about?"

She opened the book to where Miguel talked about his analysis of Imelda's family _foto_. "Mamá Coco told my brother before she died about your _ofrenda foto_. She said it was her who ripped out Papá Héctor's face, and that you had folded the guitar out of view. She kept the piece so it'd be safe from you, and to make you think that she was as mad as you about him leaving. Miguel assumed from that that you truly missed Papá Héctor, but you were afraid to admit it."

Imelda tried not to cry. " _Lo admito_. I did miss my husband when he never came home. But I had a child to raise, and I couldn't let myself crumble if she was to be raised the way she should be. Hearing his songs being played by the mariachis brought back painful memories, so I had to throw away everything that reminded me of him, including music, to be able to raise Coco. It wasn't an easy move, but it's had its merits."

Socorro sighed. "I get where you're coming from, but the family has come a long way since then. Not even Papá Héctor has the full story of what kept him from returning home. That's what I'm trying to find out by finding Ernesto de la Cruz. He would know what happened."

Imelda was forced to concede. "I will send you home as soon as I get there."

Socorro nodded to her and continued up the unbeaten path.


	21. El Capítulo Veintiuno

Socorro reached the base of de la Cruz's tower in time to meet Coco. "Mamá Coco!"

"There you are, _mija_!" Coco ran up to her. "Okay, so, good news first: we won the music competition, so we can get into de la Cruz's party."

"What's the bad news?"

"Papá went to get a disguise because he'd tried to talk to Tío Nesto before I died, but the guards wouldn't let him in."

"Ah." Socorro looked to the queue at the entrance to the tower. "Should we wait for him?"

"No, you need as much time talking with him as you can get." Coco went to join the guests waiting to board the train.

As one train left, another came down ready for new guests.

One by one, the attendees boarded the train. Among them was El Santo, who posed for a picture with the guard's head.

The two Cocos presented the prize ticket. "Ah! The competition winners! Congratulations!"

They squeezed into the compartment, and the door closed behind them.

"So, what's the plan, _mija_?"

" _Bueno_ , if Papá Héctor needs a disguise to be here, we probably shouldn't mention that he's related to us." Socorro noticed she still had her book with her. "And we can't let him find this book." She started thinking. "Maybe if we just pretend to be really big fans, he can tell us his secret to success."

"I think that sounds like a plan."

After three minutes, they reached the top of the tower and disembarked.

"Now, we just need to figure out where he is."

"I'll stay here and wait for Papá if you want to go find Tío Nesto."

"Okay." Socorro adjusted her sombrero and went looking for de la Cruz.

She struggled to navigate through the crowds of skeletons as they watched performers doing fancy tricks, picked snacks off of porcupine alebrijes, and mingled with one another.

Right now, Socorro desperately wished the flaps on her sombrero really were soundproof.

One skeleton suddenly pointed up a large marble staircase. " _¡Mira!_ There's Ernesto!"

Socorro saw a man in a sparkling white charro suit walking up the stairs waving to the crowds as he entered the mansion.

"De la Cruz!" She started running toward him."Señor de la Cruz! Señor de la - -"

Coco noticed Socorro running up the stairs of the mansion and started following after her.

The only thing protecting Socorro from being squished by the crowd was her sombrero. "Señor de la Cruz! Señor de la - -"

She suddenly found herself in a large foyer with a guitar shaped pool in the middle of the floor. Projector screens were draped all around the walls showing clips from Ernesto's films.

The girl tried to figure out how to get to Ernesto, who was standing at the far end of the pool talking to a handful of guests, when Coco found her.

"There he is. Now we just need to get his attention."

"And get through the crowds, _mija_."

"How are we going to do that?"

The two Cocos heard one of Ernesto's film clips play overhead.

"You must have faith, sister."

" _Pero_ Padre, he will never listen!"

"Then, I will make him listen! With music!"

Socorro's eyes flashed. "Do you still have the guitar?"

" _Sí_."

"Let's see if we can get up there." She pointed at the balcony over the entrance.

They sifted through the partygoers on the stairs as they made their way to the balcony.

"What do you want me to play?"

"El Mundo Es Mi Familia." Socorro climbed up on the railing.

"Tell me when you're ready."

Socorro took a calming breath before belting out a grito that reverberated throughout the entire foyer.

Every guest went silent, and the DJ stopped the music as Coco started playing the guitar.

Socorro made her way towards Ernesto, singing all the while.

" _Señoras y señores, buenas tardes, buenas noches;_  
Buenas tardes, buenas noches, señoritas y señores.  
Esta noche están aquí, es mi pasión, qué alegría;  
Pues la música es mi lengua y el mundo es mi familia!"

She finally caught sight of Ernesto de la Cruz.

" _Pues la música es mi lengua y el mundo es mi familia!_ "

Ernesto finally noticed the girl and started singing along with her.

" _Pues la música es mi lengua y el mundo es mi familia!  
_ _Pues la música es mi lengu - - AAH!_ "

Socorro suddenly disappeared into the pool in the floor.

Ernesto immediately flipped his sombrero off his head and jumped in to pull her out.

Coco embraced her _bisanieta_ as the late mariachi laid her on the tile floor. " _Gracias_ , Señor de la Cruz."

Ernesto kept his attention on Socorro. "Are you alright, _niña_?"

" _Sí_." Socorro coughed as shoe polish stung her eyes.

She wiped the shoe polish out of her eyes, only then realizing it was running off her now totally exposed face.

Coco was the only one in the foyer who didn't gasp.

Ernesto raised his hand towards Socorro. "It-It's you! Y-You are that girl! The one who came from the Land of the Living!"

Socorro fished her waterlogged sombrero from the pool. "You... you know about me?"

Ernesto chuckled. "You are all anyone has been talking about!" His expression quickly slipped into confused concern. "But... why have you come here?"

"I... I wanted to get the chance to meet you in person."

Ernesto was still worried. "Does your family know you're here?"

Socorro pointed to Coco. "She's my _bisabuela_. She can send me home at any time. But we wanted to make the most of this and visit my town's hero in the... bones."

Ernesto responded with a hearty laugh. "I suppose I can treat you with the best time of either of your lives, _muchacha_."

Socorro squeed and gave Ernesto a big hug. " _Gracias! Muchas gracias!_ "

Ernesto rustled Socorro's hair. "How's about a grand tour, eh?"

* * *

At the base of the tower, cameras were snapping away at a new arrival.

"Look! It's Frida!"

"Yes, it is I, Frida Kahlo."

"It-It is an honor, Señora!"

" _Gracias_."

"Frida" boarded the train and fixed "her" unibrow as the train started upward.

The only person who noticed was a woman in a purple dress watching from a long distance away.


	22. El Capítulo Veintidós

With the impromptu tour underway, Socorro started taking in every detail she could for any trace of knowledge on Ernesto's part of what kept Héctor from coming home.

Ernesto started off at the mansion garden, where Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete were chatting. Ernesto called their attention to him, and they started talking with the two Cocos. Socorro's discussions only brought her details of how much they enjoyed Ernesto's parties, but they knew little to nothing about their host beyond what everyone else knew.

Next was the polo court, where a match was in progress with players riding skeleton horses. Socorro was confused that the horses were skeletons rather than alebrijes, but Coco explained to the girl that they were ghosts of the horses they rode when they were alive. Ernesto headed for the next stop before Socorro could get anyone's attention there.

Then they went back inside, where they mingled with the folks in the lounge. Socorro showed off a few of her facial features, earning laughs from the guests. Ernesto remarked how distant the memories of being alive were for him, prompting Socorro to tease him about how he must have wished he'd gotten famous sooner so he could've achieved more during his life.

Back in the foyer, they talked about Ernesto's films as they played on the projector screens draped on the walls. Ernesto's favorite movie was "El Camino a Casa", about a farmer seeking to reclaim his land from a greedy executive who grew up with him. Together, they acted out the film's climax as it played before them, with the villain trying to poison the hero, but failing.

Ernesto mentioned that he did all his own stunts at that point, earning Socorro a surprised smile. Having already watched all of Ernesto's films with her brother, she had all of them memorized and couldn't think of anything from them that explained Ernesto's secret of success.

The next stop was the music hall. Coco offered to fetch a drink for Ernesto as an excuse to not have to listen to the songs being played there. Socorro had a feeling based on what she read from her brother's book of why she didn't want to hear those songs, but she kept those thoughts private.

* * *

Finally, Ernesto brought the girls to his private quarters safe from all the guests in the mansion.

"All of this came from my amazing fans in the Land of the Living. They leave me more offerings than I know what to do with."

Socorro watched as a group of chihuahua alebrijes fought over a drumstick. "How do you go about collecting all of this?"

"That's actually one of the great things about being famous. Almost everyone who makes _ofrendas_ for me has dead family of their own, and those spirits can escort offerings for me to the Land of the Dead, and they are then brought to me."

Coco picked up a plate of _pan dulce_ and a plate of tamales. "So, if someone offered you tamales and me _pan dulce_ , I would keep the _pan dulce_ and the tamales would be brought to you?"

" _Sí._ " Ernesto picked up one of the chihuahuas. "Offerings from the living are what the dead use as currency, so in my case, admission to my Sunrise Spectacular would be offerings for me. And the celebrities' stockpiles keep the Land of the Dead running until the next Día de Muertos."

Socorro nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. So this way, you don't have to visit all your _ofrendas_ in one night."

Ernesto chuckled. "Even the dead can't be in two places at once."

Coco shrugged. " _Bueno_ , they could; they just couldn't do a lot that way."

" _Verdad_." An explosion outside the window brought Ernesto's eyes to the night sky. "OOHOO! The fireworks have begun!"

Ernesto, the two Cocos, and the chihuahuas watched as fireworks decorated the skies above the courtyard.

Outside, Pepita had dropped off Imelda at the edge of the tower roof, and the late shoemaker started looking for her daughters.

Unknown to her, Héctor was on the other side of the mansion with the same objective.

* * *

After a while, Ernesto and the two Cocos went downstairs to the empty foyer.

"Soon, the party will move across town to my Sunrise Spectacular."

"This really is the afterlife, isn't it?"

" _Por supuesto._ "

"My brother always wanted to be a musician just like you. But he could never for the life of him figure out your secret to success."

"It wouldn't be a secret if everyone knew it, now would it?"

Socorro laughed. "I guess not. It's just a total mystery how little you've revealed about your life away from the audience and how you got from Santa Cecilia to where you are now. Surely, there's _someone_ you're willing to open up to."

"What can I say? It can be fun to read about the stories people think up about me. When imagination is allowed to run wild, it gives others the chance to seize their moment."

"Even the darker stories?"

He shrugged. "Everyone famous will have people thinking unsavory thoughts of them."

Coco looked around. " _Bueno_ , I think it's time I get you home, _mija_. It's getting close to sunrise."

Ernesto thumbed over his shoulder. "Pedals are on the banister."

" _Gracias_." Coco went to get one.

"It has been an honor to have you here tonight."

" _Gracias_ , Señor de la Cruz."

"I'm sorry to see you go. I hope we meet again when your time comes."

Coco returned with a pedal. "But not too soon."

Socorro chuckled. " _Sí_ , I'd like to grow old like you before I'm here for good."

Ernesto smiled. "It's definitely a dream worth pursuing."

Coco presented her _bisanieta_ with her pedal. "Socorro, I give you my blessing."

She didn't get any further before two voices cried out "There you are!" from opposite sides of the foyer.


	23. El Capítulo Veintitrés

Ernesto looked to the doorway closest to him. "Who are you? What is the meaning of this?"

Imelda stepped into the dimly lit foyer, watching as Héctor did the same, still dressed as Frida.

Coco looked back and forth between them. "Mamá? Papá?"

Héctor discarded his Frida garb and re-donned his normal clothes.

Ernesto looked quizzically at Coco. "You know these people?"

Imelda walked right up to her daughter. "I'll be taking that pedal and sending her home now."

"I'm her family just as much as you are."

Imelda reached for her boot. "You will listen to me."

Sensing a confrontation, Socorro tried to intervene. "Mamá Coco..."

Héctor reached the edge of the pool on his side. "Did you find anything?"

Ernesto turned his gaze. "Héctor?"

Socorro turned around. "Nothing he hasn't already told the cameras."

"What did you ask Ernesto?"

"Mamá Coco told me to avoid asking any direct questions since you'd tried talking to him several times without success."

Ernesto took a good look at Héctor. "My friend,... you're still being remembered. But everyone who knew you in life is dead."

Socorro reached into her pocket. "Mamá Coco gave all of Papá Héctor's letters to my brother, and he wrote a book about him."

Ernesto took the book and started looking through it. "How many people have read this?"

" _Yo no sé_. My family isn't allowed to talk about Papá Héctor, so my brother hasn't told a lot of people about it."

Imelda joined in on the discussion. "And if they read the book, it would just make matters worse."

Héctor and Socorro were confused. "How?"

"Because they would think that you really did give up everything dear to this family like I did."

"Why did you think that?"

"When I heard his songs being sung by de la Cruz, I thought he saw playing for the world more worthy than his _familia_."

Héctor was dumbfounded. "What?!"

Socorro was confused. "That doesn't make sense."

"He was never good with large audiences, so I'd assumed that he was working behind the scenes. Then came the movies, which made up the days we spent growing up and meeting each other. When they first played music for me, our days growing up at the orphanage, and conflicts that unfolded throughout our teenage years. It was exactly the same way as it happened in reality."

"You really thought I'd let my heart wander like that? The music tour was Ernesto's idea, not mine!"

"I didn't know you were dead, Héctor."

"But why did you think he had a change of heart? Especially since he said he was on his way home in his last letter?"

Imelda took a hard swallow. "It was because of something that happened the night he left. I didn't want him to go, so he tried to put my troubles to rest. Just before he left, we drank together, and he said he would move heaven and earth for his _diosa_."

Socorro's eyes went wide. "H-Heaven and earth? Like in the movie?"

Imelda nodded. " _Sí_."

Héctor seemed out of the loop. "Huh?"

"That's Don Hidalgo's toast in the de la Cruz movie 'El Camino a Casa'," Socorro explained.

"What are you talking about?"

Socorro looked around at the projector screens until she saw the clip. "There!"

On the screen, Don Hidalgo chuckled as he gave Ernesto's character a pat on the shoulder. " _Never were truer words spoken! This calls for a toast!_ " He walked to his desk, poured himself a shot of tequila, and raised it to the farmer. " _To our friendship!_ Jajaja! _I would move heaven and earth for you,_ mi amigo!"

Socorro watched alongside her _tatarabuelo_. "But in the movie, Don Hidalgo poisons the drink."

The two characters clinked glasses. "¡Salud!"

Ernesto went in for a sip, but immediately spit it back out. " _Poison!_ "

Socorro turned back around toward Imelda. "You thought Papá Héctor hadn't been truthful about his promise because of that movie scene, didn't you?"

" _Exactamente._ "

Héctor's gaze remained fixed on the projector screen as Ernesto's character wiped the floor with Don Hidalgo. "That night... the night I left..."

Imelda gave a huff. "You should be ashamed that you let it come to it."

"No, the night I tried to come home."

" _¿_ _Qué?_ "

"We'd been performing on the road for months. I got homesick, and I packed up my songs." Héctor started acting out what he and Ernesto did that night. " _You want to give up now? When we're this close to reaching our dream?_

" _This was your dream; you'll manage._

" _I cannot do this without your songs, H_ _éctor!_

" _I'm going home, Ernesto! Hate me if you want, but my mind is made up!_ "

Coco looked to her mother with a stunned look in her eyes, remembering when she said those exact words to her when she implored her to leave her father at the station.

" _Oh, I could never hate you. If you must go, then I'm... I'm sending you off with a toast._ " Héctor pretended to pour two glasses of tequila and give one to his partner. " _To our friendship!_ _I would move heaven and earth for you,_ mi amigo! ¡Salud!"

As Héctor pretended to clink glasses and drink his shot, the two Cocos exchanged fearful glances, knowing exactly what was about to happen next. Imelda also knew what was in store, but it was clear that she was trying to decide whether or not he was just telling the story to appease her.

"He walked me to the train station." Héctor suddenly lurched forward with his hands over his midriff. "But then I felt a pain in my stomach. I thought it must have been something I ate."

Coco struggled to breathe. "Y-You thought it was that... ch-chorizo, Papá?"

Héctor's gaze hardened on Ernesto. "Or something I... drank." He dropped to his knees before collapsing facedown on the floor.

A full three seconds passed before he rose to his feet again. "When I woke up, I was dead."


	24. El Capítulo Veinticuatro

Héctor's breathing steadily grew more rapid as he sized up Ernesto. "You... poisoned me!"

Ernesto looked up from the book in his hands. "Y-You're confusing movies with reality, Héctor."

"All this time, I thought it was just bad luck. I never thought you might have..." his fingers tightened into fists, "that you..."

With a mighty roar, he jumped over the pool and tackled Ernesto to the floor, laying every punch he could manage on the late mariachi.

"Papá!"

"Héctor!"

"Papá Héctor!"

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

"Security! Security!"

Two guards burst in through a pair of doors and rushed to Ernesto's aid.

"You took everything away from me!" Héctor clawed toward Ernesto as the guards dragged him away. "You rat!"

Ernesto got back on his feet. "Have him taken care of. He's... he's not well."

"I just wanted to go back home! NO! NOOOOO!" The doors slammed shut as the guards left with Héctor.

Imelda had a lot to take in. Her husband's story was compelling, but a large part of her wanted more definitive proof before coming to a conclusion of whether or not to believe that Héctor was murdered.

Coco found the pedal she was using on Socorro. "I think you've had enough adventuring for one night, _mija_."

" _Sí. Adelante._ " Ernesto walked over to the two Cocos. "S-Socorro, um... m-my reputation is, uh... _jejeh,... muy importante_ to me. I-I would hate to have you think..."

Socorro slowly pulled her sombrero on tighter. "...th-that you... m-murdered Papá Héctor? F-For his songs?"

Ernesto laughed nervously. "Y-You don't think that,... do you?"

"N-N-No. ... E-Everyone knows y...you're the... g-good guy?"

Imelda looked at the book still in Ernesto's hand. It contained everything there was to know about her husband, and in tandem with Socorro's newfound knowledge, could spell her _nieta_ 's ultimatum as prophetic. She had him on theft and plagiarism; whether murder would join the list now hinged entirely on what de la Cruz did with the book.

If he returned the book to Socorro, that would mean Héctor had died an accidental death and had truly confused his own death with the movie scene.

If not, that would mean Héctor was correct that Ernesto had murdered him for wanting to return home.

Five seconds passed.

Ernesto clapped the book shut, lifted the inside of his jacket, and tucked the book in an inside pocket.

There was no longer any doubt in Imelda's mind. "Alright, Socorro. Time to go home."

Sensing the urgency in her mother's voice, Coco raised the pedal to begin the ritual.

Before she could start speaking, Ernesto plucked the pedal from Coco's fingers and crushed it into flakes.

"Security! Take care of the girls; they'll be... extending their stay."

Imelda lunged toward Ernesto, but was promptly restrained by two guards.

Two more apprehended Coco. Another two grabbed hold of Socorro.

The living girl couldn't believe what was happening. "You did murder Papá Héctor!"

"It was what needed to be done," Ernesto coolly replied as he swaggered to the staircase. "Success doesn't come for free, Socorro. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes to... seize your moment. I know you'll understand."

With a wink, the demented mariachi left the screaming girls to be dragged to their fates.

* * *

The half dozen guards marched the trio onto a rocky cliff, inside of which was a deep pit. One by one, they threw their prisoners into the _cenote_ ; Imelda went first, followed by Coco, and finally Socorro.

FOOSH!

FOOSH!

FOOSH!

A large patch of water cushioned their fall to the bottom of the sinkhole.

They resurfaced and swam to a dry patch of rocks within the _cenote_.

Imelda wrung out her dress as Socorro set her sombrero on the rocks to dry. Coco started wandering around the confines of the _cenote_.

It only took a few seconds for her to find her father. "Papá!"

"Coco?"

She immediately ran to give him a hug. " _¡Ay, pobrecito!_ "

"Hey, it's okay, _mija_." Héctor returned his daughter's hug.

Imelda walked over to the two, only to be tackled to the ground as she reached for her daughter.

"This is all your fault, _bruja_!"

" _¿Qué me llamaste?_ "

"You almost murdered Papá a second time and let his killer get away with his first murder for over a century!"

"This is no way to speak to your mother, Socorro!"

"You're not my mother!"

Imelda was flabbergasted. "You take that back right now!"

"Why should I, De la Crucita?"

"You will listen to me!" Imelda plucked off her boot, but Coco ripped it out of her hand, threw it into the water, and kicked Imelda back down onto the rocks.

"No, YOU listen! You left Papá to be forgotten by the living world because he was murdered for trying to come home, and if Miguel hadn't kept his letters safe from the family, he would've vanished as soon as I died! You never tried to find out what happened, nor did you allow anyone else in the family to look for the truth! Even after you died, the family wouldn't open their minds to finding out what happened to Papá because they were scared of destroying your legacy! Even with Elena taking after you in every way, she was twice the matriarch you will ever be; she sought answers to what stopped Victoria from coming home and made sure she was remembered when she found out about her plane crashing in the mountains outside Mexico City! You're no mother of mine; you're Ernesto de la Cruz as a woman! You're a coward who would throw anyone under the bus so you could do what it took for you to... seize your moment."

She stepped on Imelda's midriff as she stormed to the edge of the dry rocks.

Héctor picked up his hat and slammed it onto his head, his marrow boiling at what he had just witnessed.


	25. El Capítulo Veinticinco

Héctor marched up to her daughter to give her a piece of his mind. "What's gotten into you?!"

Socorro inched toward Imelda, who was still strewn out on the rocks. "M-Mamá Imelda?"

Coco broke down completely. "I don't even know my own family anymore!"

Imelda couldn't hold back her tears either. "I just wanted to build a strong family."

"It was fully uncalled for to talk to your mother like that!"

"I'm sorry." Socorro helped Imelda to her feet. "I never meant for any of this to happen. All I wanted was to know what happened to Papá Héctor."

"She still could've tried to find out the truth about you."

"You couldn't have known the truth before tonight. I just wish I could've turned back before it was too late."

"That still doesn't make it okay to hurt her this way."

"What do you mean?"

"She came this close to murdering you a second time!"

"I wanted to forget my husband. I wanted Coco to forget him, too. But I had no idea how much it hurt her to forget him. Héctor was the only one I could turn to for support; when he left, I had no one to help me in raising the family. And by the time I had the courage to look for him, the family had grown too much and were too deep rooted in hating everything that reminded me of Héctor for me to follow after him."

"There was no way she could've known what she was doing."

"It's not too late to turn things around. There's still a way to reveal the truth to the world and to our family. You just need to be able to confront your fears instead of running away from them. You have your family to guide you, and they'll be by your side no matter what. Even if you and everyone else has to admit to being wrong about everything they've believed for all these years."

"She still could've let me tell my side of the story to our family."

Imelda started walking to the edge of the water. "I can only hope that you're right."

Héctor saw his wife and _tataranieta_ approaching. "Go apologize to your mamá, Coco."

Socorro sat Imelda down on the soggy rocks before joining them.

Coco gazed at her reflection in the water without saying a word.

"Well?" Héctor beckoned. "Apologize."

Socorro tried to talk to her. "Mamá Coco?"

Coco buried her face in her arms.

Socorro began singing a gentle tune.

" _Recuérdame... hoy me tengo que ir, amor;  
Recuérdame... no llores, por_ _favor;_ "

Héctor joined in the singing.

" _Te llevo en mi corazón y cerca me tendrás;  
A solas yo te cantaré soñando en regresar...  
_ _Recuérdame... aunque tengo que emigrar;_ "

Imelda started singing along with them.

" _Recuérdame... si mi guitarra oyes llorar;_ "

Coco finally gave in to the music.

" _Ella con su triste canto te acompa_ _ñará...  
Hasta que en mis brazos tú est_ _és,...  
Rec_ _uérdame._ "

Coco slumped back on the rocks. "He stole your guitar,... he stole your songs,... and he stole your life when you were Miguel's age! All for a little bit of fame! _You_ should be the one the world remembers, not Tio Nesto!"

"I didn't write 'Remember Me' for the world; I wrote it for you." Héctor took off his hat. "I've been a lousy _padre_ to you, and a lousy _patriarca_ to our _familia_."

" _¡No digas eso!_ " Coco stood up. "The simple fact that you're sitting here talking to me means you're a _great_ padre to me! Would I have held onto your letters and your _foto_ if I thought you weren't worth being remembered? Would I have tried sculpting Miguel into someone like you from the moment he was born if I thought you didn't care about your family? Would I have trusted Miguel with everything that held your legacy if he didn't see the same goodness in you that I did? Would he have allowed your legacy to be shared, even though it went against the entire family's belief of you, if he thought that Mamá was right about you the whole time? I'm proud that we're family!" She looked up at the entrance to the _cenote_. "I'm proud that we're family!"

She let a _grito_ pierce the air and reverberate throughout the _cenote_.

Héctor soon found himself repeating his daughter's sentiment. "I'm proud that we're family!"

The two exchanged _gritos_ before finally calming down and rejoining the other two occupants of the _cenote_.

Coco looked to her mother. " _Disculpa_ , Mamá. For everything I said to you."

Socorro picked up her newly dry sombrero. "Look, we've all said and done a lot of things that we've come to regret." She put it back on her head. "But I think it's time to put our differences behind us. For our family, and for justice."

Imelda held Socorro's hand. " _Bueno_ , since you went through all the trouble of bringing us here, you must really want these wrongs undone. I do, too."

"There's just one small thing we need to take care of first." Héctor looked up to the visible sky. "Do you think Pepita would be able to hear us from in here?"

" _Hay sólo uno forma averiguar._ " Imelda puts her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

A dog bark sounded from above the _cenote_.

Socorro recognized the bark. "Dante?"

The xolo _alebrije_ appeared at the edge of the _cenote_.

Socorro gasped. "It's Dante!"

Dante continued barking until Pepita landed on the rocks and let out a mighty roar.

Water shook itself from the stalactites and rained down on the four souls within.

Imelda locked eyes with her spirit guide. " _¡Ándale!_ "

Soon, they were all on Pepita's back and riding off to meet back up with the rest of the family. Dante was trailing behind them, flying with his own wings.


	26. El Capítulo Veintiséis

They found the rest of the dead family waiting at a cable car station.

Julio was the first to see them. "There they are!"

Pepita landed on the platform with Dante tumbling to a stop behind her. Coco, her parents, and Socorro dismounted from Pepita and reunited with the others.

Óscar and Felipe embraced their sister, Julio and Victoria gave Coco big hugs, and Rosita pinched Socorro's cheeks.

Once the euphoria wore off, Victoria set her gaze hard on Héctor. "Alright, you've caused enough trouble with this family for one night. It's two hours before the day is done, so you best be heading back to your _gueto_ soon."

"Victoria?" Coco walked over to her daughter.

"Mamá, what were you even doing running around with Socorro and that _músico_? Do you realize how close you're cutting this with getting Socorro back home?"

Socorro stepped in. "She was trying to send me home, but I wanted to figure out why Papá Héctor never came home. The whole journey was my idea."

"Did you find anything?"

Imelda nodded. "We did. He was on his way home from his music tour when he was murdered by Ernesto de la Cruz."

Héctor and the two Cocos were the only ones who didn't gasp at the revelation.

"Who is this Ernesto de la Cruz?" Victoria asked.

"He was Héctor's childhood friend."

"They considered each other brothers."

"He became a famous musician by singing the songs written by Papá."

Imelda nodded. "The whole reason I made the rule of no music was so I wouldn't have to listen to my husband's songs being played all throughout the square."

"Does this mean that the ban is lifted now?" Rosita asked.

"Can Papá be part of our family again?"

"There's one thing we need to do first."

"What is it?" Julio asked.

"We need to fulfill Elena's pledge and put an end to México's adoration of de la Cruz."

"And how are we going to do that?" Victoria asked.

Socorro's eyes lit up. "I might know a way."

* * *

It was now half an hour before sunrise. Ernesto de la Cruz's 84th Annual Día de los Muertos Sunrise Spectacular was underway, and the stadium was packed with fans of every lifespan ready to watch the show.

The orchestra finished the opening overture, and the lights in the stadium dimmed, signalling the start of the show.

Two spotlights illuminated a pair of fake mountains on either side of the stage.

Suddenly, the entire stage was orange with fiery lights, and fake flames were jetting out from the stage floor all around the mountains, which now carried two eagles with Frida's face.

The birds' chests slammed open as dancers assembled on the stage in front of the displays and performed their choreographed dance.

The performance on top of the mountains played out just as had been rehearsed, except that the dancers that fell off the merlin's mountain slunk off to the backstage area.

Frida saw them off. " _Tiena suerte, muchacha._ "

" _Gracias_ , Frida." Socorro followed her family backstage.

Everyone shed their Frida costumes and huddled together in a circle.

"Is everyone clear on the plan?" Coco asked.

Victoria nodded. "Find Socorro's book,..."

Her father picked up. "...give it to Socorro,..."

Imelda finished up. "... and then send her home."

"And then once she's back in the Land of the Living,..."

"...we take care of Ernesto in the Land of the Dead."

Héctor held out a cempazuchitl flower. "Everyone take a pedal."

Everyone complied, and they set off on their mission.

Imelda led the way through the halls. "Now, we just need to find de la Cruz."

" _¿S_ _í?_ " The man in question was just stepping out of his dressing room.

The whole family hid behind the wall as Ernesto sized up Imelda.

" _Espera un minuto..._ "

In the time it took Ernesto to register who was standing before him, he was met with a boot to the face that sent his head spinning.

"That's for murdering the love of my life!"

Héctor revealed himself to Ernesto. "She's talking about me!"

"Héctor?! How did you--?" He was met with another boot to the face.

"And that's for trying to murder my _tataranieta_!"

Socorro emerged into the hall. "She's talking about me!"

"You!"

Ernesto pulled his jacket tighter, revealing through a bulge where he was hiding... "The book!"

The rest of the family appeared behind Socorro and her _tatarabuelos_.

Ernesto immediately sprinted down the corridor behind him.

"After him!" Imelda led the family down the dark hallways.

Ernesto barged through the costume room. "Security! _¡Ayudenme!_ "

The Riveras weren't far behind him.

Soon, they were surrounded by guards underneath the stage.

Coco and Julio led the way into battle, with the twins behind them using each other's arms as nun-chucks. Rosita and Victoria cleared the way for Héctor, Imelda, and Socorro to chase after Ernesto.

A stagehand caught sight of Ernesto. "Places, señor! You're on in 30 seconds!"

Ernesto shoved him out of the way and tried to open the door.

Before he could, Imelda grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away, jerking the book out of his pocket and sending it to the floor.

They both fought for possession of it, and Socorro tackled Ernesto away from Imelda.

Imelda landed on a nearby platform. "Socorro! _¡Tengo el libro!_ "

Socorro ran to get the book from Imelda, but Ernesto beat her to her.

Suddenly, the platform began to rise, taking Ernesto and Imelda with it.

The mariachi tried to throw the shoemaker off the platform, but he couldn't get her to let go of the book.

Socorro waved the family to the stairs leading to the side wing. "Come on! This way!"

The twins held off the guards while the rest of the family hurried to the stage where Imelda and Ernesto were.

The announcer could be heard speaking to the audience. " _Damas y caballeros_ , the one... the only... Ernesto de la Cruz!"

All the spotlights flashed on, forcing Ernesto to hold off fighting the book from Imelda to greet the audience with a smile and a wave.


	27. El Capítulo Veintisiete

Socorro and the rest of the Riveras reached the backstage area beside the stage, where they saw Imelda held tightly in a one-armed hug by Ernesto.

" _Buenos días y bienvenidos_ to the 84th Annual Día de los Muertos Sunrise Spectacular! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday this year!"

Socorro turned to the rest of the family. "We need to get her off the stage!"

"But it's almost time for the holiday to reach its conclusion, so let's make this ending momentous! Songs to show the world that our living families remember us, and that we continue to live on in this beautiful world of music and art!"

Coco retrieved a guitar and brought her father to a microphone, whispering the song she wanted him to play.

"So just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!"

As the audience applauded, Héctor started plucking out notes on the guitar, sending them radiating across the arena.

Imelda recognized the tune and, noticing a signal from Socorro, began singing along to it.

" _Ay... de m_ _í, Llorona... Llorona, de azul celeste..._ "

Ernesto released Imelda from his grip and repeated the lyrics.

" _Ay de m_ _í, Llorona... Llorona, de azul celeste..._ "

The duo descended opposite staircases and continued singing, Ernesto beckoning his guards on stage, Imelda gazing lovingly at Héctor.

" _Y aunque la vida me cueste, Llorona, no dejaré de quererte...  
_ _No dejaré de quererte!_ "

The orchestra picked up the music at that point, and the audience erupted in cheers as Imelda showed Ernesto her game face and a challenging finger twitch.

" _Me subí al pino más alto, Llorona, haber si te divisaba!_ "

Ernesto spun Imelda towards a line of guards.

" _Me subí al pino más alto, Llorona, haber si te divisaba!_ "

Imelda wove through the guards.

" _Como el pino era muy tierno, Llorona,_ _al verme llorar, lloraba!_ "

Ernesto followed after her.

" _Como el pino era muy tierno, Llorona,_ _al verme llorar, lloraba!_ "

Rosita and Victoria stared at the stage as Imelda held out the book like a matador cape and then pulled it away as Ernesto lunged for it, prompting an exclamation of " _¡Olé!_ " from the audience.

" _La pena y lo que no es pena, Llorona,_ _todo es pena para mí!_ "

Ernesto picked up Imelda and set her on the other side of the stage from her family.

" _La pena y lo que no es pena, Llorona,_ _todo es pena para mí!_ "

Imelda tangoed with one of the guards before spinning him into Ernesto.

" _Ayer lloraba por verte, Llorona_ , _y hoy lloro porque te vi!_ "

Ernesto managed to get hold of the book, but lost it again courtesy of a knee to the spine.

" _Ayer lloraba por verte, Llorona_ , _y hoy lloro porque te vi!_ "

Imelda wormed through the guards and twirled toward her family in the wing.

" _Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona... Llorona, de azul celeste_ _!_ "

Ernesto grabbed her before she could reach them.

" _Ay de mí, Llorona, Llorona... Llorona, de azul celeste_ _!_ "

The duo twirled in each other's arms back to the middle of the stage.

" _Y aunque la vida me cueste, Llorona_ , _no dejaré de quererte!_ "

Ernesto took over singing and started throwing Imelda around as much as was allowed to qualify as part of the show.

" _Y aunque la vida me cueste, Llorona_ , _no dejaré de quererte!_ "

He grabbed Imelda in a one-armed grip and plucked the book from her hand.

" _No dejaré de quererte!  
_ _No dejaré de quererte!_ "

Imelda wormed a leg free and stomped on Ernesto's foot.

" _Ay, LlorooooooooooooooNAAAAAAAAJAAJAAJAAJAAYYYY!_ "

She took the book back and ran to where her family was waiting, jumping into Héctor's arms and planting a juicy kiss on his lips.

Imelda got backed on her feet laughing euphorically. "I forgot what that felt like!"

Héctor returned the laughter. "You... still got it, _mi diosa_."

Everyone else was stunned silent until Socorro cleared her throat.

Imelda noticed the pedal in her fingers. "Ah! _¡Sí!_ " She traded the book for the pedal before preparing a steaming plate of nachos for the girl. "Socorro, I give you my blessing."

The pedal glowed, making way for ground beef and salsa. "To go home,..."

Then a helping of shredded cheese. "To apologize to your living _familia_ ,..."

Socorro braced herself for the habañero peppers. "And put a stop to Miguel playing music?"

Imelda assuaged her worries with a generous dab of sour cream. "...and to always remember how much your family loves you."

Socorro sighed with relief.

Héctor smiled for the living girl. "You're going home."

Socorro reached to take the pedal from Imelda.

Before she could reach it, she was grabbed by her braids and hoisted into the air.

"You're not going anywhere!"

Imelda lunged at Ernesto, who pushed her into a control booth.

"Imelda!" Héctor rushed to Imelda's aid.

Ernesto dragged Socorro to a balcony behind the curtain with the rest of the family following him.

"Stay back! All of you stay back! Not. One. More. Step."

Dante grabbed Socorro's leg and tried to pull her out of Ernesto's grip. But it was no use. The evil mariachi pulled her out of the alebrije's grip and threw her on the edge of the balcony.

Héctor grabbed Ernesto's shoulders. "Ernesto! Leave the girl alone!"

Ernesto threw Héctor into a microphone, which toppled near his feet.

Noticing this, Rosita secretly pointed a nearby camera at Ernesto.

"I've worked too hard, Héctor! Too hard to let her destroy everything!"

"She's a living child, Ernesto!"

Victoria found the switch to activate the camera.

"She's a threat!" Ernesto snarled. "Do you think I will let her go back to the Land of the Living with that book? And take away everything that's important to me? No!"

Socorro got to her feet. "You're a coward!"

Ernesto slapped her in the face. " _I_ am Ernesto de la Cruz! The greatest musician of all time!"

"Papá Héctor is the real musician; you're just the guy who murdered him and stole his songs! Music is supposed to bring families together; you tore my family apart!"

Ernesto grabbed Socorro by the throat. "I am the one who's willing to do whatever it takes to seize my moment!" He pulled her face directly into his. " _Whatever it takes!_ "

He ran to the edge and threw the girl into the abyss with all his might.

"NO!" Héctor reached out over the edge.

One by one, the rest of the family gathered on the edge calling after Socorro.

Ernesto spun around on his heel, stealing a glance toward Héctor.

"Apologies, old friend," he shoved Héctor's hat into his chest as he swaggered back to the stage, "but the show must go on."


	28. El Capítulo Veintiocho

Socorro tumbled through the air watching as story after story after story rushed past her. She couldn't see the ground below her, but knew that there was nothing that could prevent her from being trapped in this realm for good.

Dante grabbed her blouse with his teeth, but he only succeeded in costing Socorro her sombrero.

Socorro could see the stone walkway below her and braced herself for the impact.

But then she felt herself hit something soft and furry.

A mighty roar confirmed what it was that saved her.

"Pepita!"

The jaguar _alebrije_ flew back up to the balcony, while the sombrero landed on a passerby's head.

* * *

While all this was happening, Ernesto straightened himself out and flipped the curtains aside, ready to continue the show.

He greeted the audience with a welcoming laugh, only to receive boos from the audience.

Ernesto was confused. "Please! Please! _¡_ _Mi familia!_ "

"Murderer!"

"Get off the stage!"

Ernesto ran to the edge of the stage. "Orchestra! _Uno, dos, u - -_ "

The conductor snapped his baton in two and tossed it to the floor.

Ernesto sucked in a deep breath. " _Recuérdame, hoy me tengo qu_ \- -" He was met with a tomato to the chest. "Hey!"

More food was thrown at him until a woman pointed above Ernesto. " _¡Mira!_ "

Ernesto turned around and saw a screen showing Pepita landing on the balcony with Socorro on her back.

Amidst the thunderous applause from the audience, it dawned on Ernesto that the Riveras had broadcasted his rant and attempted disposal of Socorro for the whole audience to see.

The shivers down his spine only grew more pronounced as he watched Pepita approach the curtain.

The giant _alebrije_ emerged onto the stage and stared down Ernesto until he was teetering over the edge of the stage.

Ernesto struggled to breathe evenly. "N-N-N... Nice kitty!"

Pepita punted Ernesto off the stage and grabbed him by his leg, flying him above the stadium roofs before tossing him into the air and kicking him off the tower.

Ernesto spun through the air until he slammed into a giant bell and landed on the platform below.

He just barely caught sight of the bell above him before it snapped off its mount and came down on top of him.

The audience saw the whole thing on camera and erupted into the loudest and longest applause ever seen in the Land of the Dead.

* * *

The Riveras finally unraveled from their embrace. " _Mija, gracias a Dios_ you're okay!"

Coco gave Socorro the book that she had dropped when Ernesto grabbed her braids.

" _Gracias_ , Mamá Coco."

Imelda looked to the east. "Socorro! It's almost sunrise!"

Héctor walked over to his wife. "Here's a pedal."

Socorro put the book in her pocket. "Mamá Imelda?"

"What is it, mija?"

The girl took a hard swallow. "I-If Abuelita gets here before I get the chance to tell her, would you tell her I said sorry about throwing her walker down the well? And for running away?"

"We will." Héctor held out the pedal. "You have our blessing, Socorro."

Imelda's voice quaked like _pastel de tres leches_. "No conditions."

" _Gracias._ " Socorro grabbed the pedal and was whisked back into de la Cruz's crypt.

* * *

Socorro stood up and looked through the windows, all shining fresh daylight from the sun.

Checking her pockets to find that she still had the book, her eyes drifted to the guitar under Ernesto's painting.

She climbed onto the coffin and plucked the guitar from its mount.

Her actions attracted the attention of the crypt keeper. " _¡_ _Oyé!_ _¿Qué cree está haciendo aqu_ _í?_ "

Socorro tucked the guitar under her arm and pushed her way past the man, running for home as fast as her legs would allow.

The crypt keeper went to call the police.

Socorro whizzed through the gates of the cemetery, through the plaza, and through the marketplace.

Abel was the first family member to see her. "There she is!"

Rosa saw her run for the courtyard. "Socorro! Stop!"

The girl pushed her way through the gates and ran for the front door.

Miguel jumped in her path. "Where have you been?!"

Socorro pushed her brother aside and threw the door open.

He suddenly noticed the guitar. "Where did you get that?!"

Socorro slammed the door in her brother's face and locked it.

"Socorro!" Miguel started banging on the door. "Socorro!"

But the girl was already running upstairs to her and Miguel's room.

* * *

Outside, the rest of the family saw a number of police officers converging on their property.

Luisa approached them, noticing her son trying to get into the house. "What's going on here?"

"The keeper of de la Cruz's crypt says that a Rivera girl stole the guitar just this morning."

There was no time to register the news before she heard Miguel shouting "Mamá! I need the keys!"

She called for her husband. "Enrique! Miguel is locked out of the house!"

"On my way!"

Luisa returned her attention to the officer closest to her. "Why would Socorro steal a guitar?"

"That's what we're here to figure out, _señora_."

Enrique went to the door, key ring in hand. "Stand back, _mijo_."

He unlocked the door, and Miguel ran inside in search of... "Socorro? Where are you?"

The other family members swarmed after him in search of Socorro.

"She couldn't have gone far with that guitar; secure the area."

All the officers surrounded the _hacienda_.

One got out a bullhorn. "This is _la policia_ ; come out of the house with the guitar in plain sight!"

It wasn't long before Socorro emerged from the door with a guitar case. "Alright! I'm here! Here's the guitar. I'll cooperate."

Miguel appeared behind her. "What's gotten into you?!"

"Let's just get this guitar to Ernesto's crypt."

"We'll take care of the guitar; you're coming with us to the police station."

" _Sí,_ señor."

Miguel took his sister by the shoulder. "You've got a lot of explaining to do."


	29. El Capítulo Veintinueve

Socorro sat down at the interrogation table with Miguel standing behind her.

The officer across from her started a recorder. "Santa Cecilia Police File 489462, Detective Marcos Luis Jíminez-Santiago interrogating. State your name, _por favor_."

"Socorro Anjélica Rivera-Quintana."

"Tell me about the incident."

" _Bueno_ , it all started last night. My brother, Miguel, was being confronted over a book he wrote about our _tatarabuelo_ , Papá Héctor. Everyone in Santa Cecilia knows about the Rivera family not allowing music near their home, which was because Papá Héctor was a musician who never came home from a music tour in 1921. The family was scolding him for breaking the family rule about not talking about Papá Héctor, and I was there trying to defend him. Anyway, a fight broke out, and I accidentally knocked my _abuelita_ 's walker down the well. So, I ran off to _la plaza_ and tried to figure out how to prove that Papá Héctor didn't abandon his family and would've come home if he could've."

"What were you doing in the mausoleum, then?"

Socorro took the book out of her pocket and laid it on the table. "Papá Héctor had the same guitar that was played by Ernesto de la Cruz when he was alive, and the letters he wrote to his family contained the lyrics to all the songs that were sung by de la Cruz. I thought the guitar would have some sort of clues about why Papá Héctor never came home, so I went to the cemetery to see whether there were any clues to be found."

"The guitar came off its mounts twice during the night before finally being stolen this morning. The first time, witnesses said that a window was broken, but no one was seen leaving the crypt or found inside the crypt. The only ways in or out were the locked gate and the broken window. And the window was repaired before daybreak, and the crypt keeper was sure that the gate was locked all through the night. How did you get out of the crypt last night, and how did you get in the crypt this morning?"

Miguel had his own question. "And what happened to your sombrero? You weren't wearing it when you came back home."

Socorro took a hard swallow. "Would you believe me if I told you I started seeing ghosts after I took the guitar?"

"What kind of ghosts?"

"Walking skeletons that look like people who are now dead."

The detective's skepticism was clear on his face. "You understand this is a very serious matter, stealing a priceless artifact from a town hero's mausoleum."

Socorro nodded. "Especially on Día de los Muertos, when you're supposed to gift to the dead, not steal from the dead."

"All that aside, the guitar case you gave to the authorities contained a replica made of scrap wood, nails, and strands of picture hanging wire. So, where is the real guitar?"

"The guitar is in the hands of its rightful owners, and the proof is right here in this book." Socorro pointed to the book on the table.

The detective looked at the guitar on the cover of the book. "This is from a real _foto_?"

Socorro nodded and pointed out each of the people in the picture. "That's my Mamá Coco, that's my Mamá Imelda, and that's my Papá Héctor." She opened the book to the table of contents. "This book also has the contents of letters Papá Héctor wrote home to his family."

"I see. _Bueno_ , if you could provide the original _foto_ , and any letters that your Papá Héctor wrote, we can have an expert examine them and see what can be made from them. However, the mausoleum will need the guitar returned at least until analysis of the _foto_ and letters is complete."

Socorro turned to her brother. "Did anyone destroy the letters or the _foto_ , Papá Héctor?"

"Um,... you do realize I'm your brother, right?"

" _Uy. Perdóname,_ Miguel."

"How is it even possible to get the two of us mixed up? Papá Héctor has been dead for... who knows how long."

"More than _un cien años_?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far, but certainly a long time; before either of us was born, that's for sure."

The detective bounced his pencil on his notepad. "Alright, just find whatever documents you can and we'll call you when the expert arrives. But until they do, the guitar must be returned to de la Cruz's mausoleum."

Socorro nodded. "And do be sure to read this book while we wait. There should be copies in the Santa Cecilia library. And be sure to tell your _amigos_ about it as well."

"I'll look for the book, but you still need to return the guitar."

Miguel took his sister by the shoulder. "I'll make sure she returns the guitar, _señor_."

" _Gracias_ , Señor Rivera."

* * *

Socorro and Miguel walked home from the police station.

"How's Abuelita?"

"She's in the hospital, but she'll live."

"I'm grounded, aren't I?"

" _Ah,_ _ _¿_ crees que s_ _í?_ "

"What can I say, Papá Héctor?"

"Not my name, apparently. Seriously, how could you possibly think we're the same person? Where were you last night?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Are you hiding something?"

"No, I just don't know how to explain the truth without it sounding made up."

"Why would the truth sound made up?"

"Would you believe me if I said that I saw the dead members of our family last night?"

"You mean like seeing their ghosts?"

"And touching them and seeing where dead people go after they die."

"I think you should go to bed when we get home. But first, you need to tell me where the guitar is."

"It's in the attic under Papá Héctor's _ofrenda_."

"You got there through the trapdoor in our closet, didn't you?"

" _Sí._ " Socorro nodded. "Did any of Papá Héctor's letters get destroyed?"

"No, everyone was too busy looking for you and getting Abuelita to the hospital. Now, when we get home, you're going to bed, and the guitar is going back to de la Cruz's mausoleum. The rest of the family will want answers about what happened last night, so you better be prepared to explain everything."

"I just hope everyone believes me."


	30. El Capítulo Treinta

By the time the next Día de los Muertos came around, Santa Cecilia had undergone a total transformation. Every statue of Ernesto de la Cruz was dismantled, and his mausoleum had shut down for good, with the bust over the entrance bearing a wooden sign: FORGET YOU

The Rivera household, by contrast, had been expanded with a tourist display containing all of Héctor's letters and his old guitar. Miguel's book had gone on to sell millions of copies across Mexico, making him a household name like his _tatarabuelo_ , and as was expected to inevitably happen as a result, making the family's shoe business more popular than anyone, living or dead, had ever dreamed.

Elena's recovery was slow and tedious, but apart from now having to use a wheelchair, she made a full recovery. And as a woman of her word, the collapse of Ernesto de la Cruz's status as the idol of Santa Cecilia spelled the end of the Riveras' century-long ban on music.

Socorro made it a point from the moment she returned home to have Miguel pick up where Héctor had left off in the time spent in the Land of the Living. From wearing the same clothes as him to encouraging him to write his own songs, she did everything in her power to make up for lost time.

All of Socorro's cousins had taken up learning to play instruments of their own. Abel had taken up the accordion, Rosa learned the violin, and Benny and Manny were becoming trumpeters. Miguel still played the guitar, and Socorro continued as a singer, with occasional maraca playing.

Patricia had married into the family by this point and was now pregnant with her first child. Her due date was at the end of the month, and Socorro was excited at the prospect of being an aunt. She had so much to tell the child about his soon-to-be family.

Most notable of all, however, was the family's _ofrenda_. The pictures still remained in their usual places, but Imelda's _foto_ was now entirely in one piece, complete with Héctor in all his warm glory.

* * *

It was almost sundown when the dead Riveras arrived at the hacienda.

"Can you believe how many people made _ofrendas_ for me this year?"

"I didn't even know book covers could be used as _ofrenda fotos_."

"You're not going to go visit them all, are you, Papá?"

"Nah. Being with my family is all I could ever ask for, _mija_."

"Just be thankful that we have Pepita to keep all those _loco_ fans away."

" _Por supuesto._ "

They saw Miguel and Socorro standing in front of the _ofrenda_.

"So, you actually got to meet our dead family last year?"

" _Sí. Fue de miedo_ at first, but they were every bit as nice as they were when they were alive."

"Any idea when they'll be getting here?"

" _Bueno_ , they were here to watch the fight that happened last year, so they might actually be here by now."

Coco chuckled at Socorro's guess. "If only they knew."

A bark sounded from outside the _ofrenda_ room, prompting the two living souls to turn around.

Socorro gasped. "Dante!"

As she ran to meet the xolo dog, she noticed a small gray cat trailing behind.

The cat meowed as she nuzzled against Socorro's leg.

Elena noticed the cat as well. "Ah, Pepita. So nice of you to join us."

Socorro chuckled. "Yep. Everyone's here now."

Elena wheeled herself to Socorro. "Don't go getting yourself cursed again, _mijita Coquita angelita dulcita_."

"We've all learned our lessons, Abuelita." She gave the old woman a hug before gazing wistfully at the _ofrenda_. "At least I didn't have to put up with you on the other side last year."

"And for that, you are one lucky girl."

" _Puedes decir eso de nuevo._ "

Miguel joined the embrace. "Hopefully, you're not in any rush to meet the rest of the family."

"Not even in your dreams, Miguelito."

* * *

As the sun vanished from the horizon, the town became completely enshrouded in darkness, lit only by the lamps set out by its people and fireworks going off all around the square.

In the courtyard of the Rivera home, candles adorned every corner as the youngest members of the family gathered on a makeshift stage, instruments at the ready. All of them were wearing charro suits of different colors; Abel wore green, Rosa wore pink, Benny and Manny wore blue, Miguel wore purple, and Socorro wore yellow.

The dead family gathered amongst the rest of the living to watch the display.

Imelda laughed at how well Socorro had sculpted her brother into a second Héctor. "I should hope by all the heavens that I don't have to deal with two of you on the other side."

Héctor gave his wife a reassuring shoulder pat. "Not as long as I have anything to say about it."

Rosa and Miguel picked out the opening notes as Socorro started singing.

" _Dirás que es raro lo que me pasó..._ "

Héctor and Imelda held each other in an embrace.

" _Parece que a noche te encontré en mis sueños..._ "

Abel joined in with the accordion.

" _Las palabras que dije se volvieron canción,_  
 _Versos que tuyos son y el recuerdo nos dió!_ "

Coco looked to her father, who winked at her.

" _Una melodía bella que el alma tocó_  
 _con el ritmo que vibra en nuestro interior_  
 _Amor verdadero nos une por siempre_  
 _en el latido de mi corazón!_  
 _Amor verdadero nos une por siempre_  
 _en el latido de mi corazón!_ "

Benny and Manny took up their trumpets, as the dead and living family all joined in on the singing.

" _Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente!_  
 _Canten a coro nuestra canción!_  
 _Amor verdadero nos une por siempre_  
 _en el latido de mi corazón!_  
 _Ay mi familia, oiga mi gente!_  
 _Canten a coro nuestra canción!_  
 _Amor verdadero nos une por siempre_  
 _en el latido de mi corazón!_ "


	31. La Nota del Autor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Una Mensaje de E1craZ4life

_Oyé, chicos y chicas._ E1craZ4life here. It's been a very long and enduring journey, but it's finally finished. And I just wanted to take the opportunity to explore some of my inspirations for this, as well as the challenges faced during the writing process.

I took up this project as a way of opening the gates for works following the premise of other members of the Rivera family visiting the Land of the Dead instead of Miguel to explore family members younger than Miguel. As you can guess, things would have to play out differently in the living world in order for Héctor to be around to guide whoever ended up cursed, which is where I came up with Miguel jogging Coco's memories and being trusted with her memorabilia before she passed away.

Solving one problem created another: with Héctor's legacy in Miguel's possession, it would no longer be possible for anyone not to know that Héctor was the musician who disappeared from the Rivera family all those years ago. I had read a fanfic that had Miguel know that Héctor was his great-great-grandfather before getting cursed, and I had hoped that it would play out like a detective story after Miguel got the scoop on why Héctor didn't come home. That didn't happen, so I recycled that into my own work. I thought it'd be amusing to have Miguel grow up to be like Héctor, and when Socorro went to the Land of the Dead, she kept mistaking Héctor for her brother.

If there's one thing I'd have done differently, I'd probably have had Coco and Héctor's reunion be told as a backstory after Socorro got cursed rather than have it be part of the chapters leading up to Little Coco's journey; but then again, I just like putting Imelda in positions where she can't hide from her true feelings of Héctor and making her cry. (Yeah, I'm evil. What are you going to do?)

Perhaps the hardest part was coming up with a new show for Frida and a new song for Héctor to sing in Shantytown. I wasn't going to have Frida put on the papaya cactus show again or have Héctor sing "Juanita" again; that's something Ernesto would've done. The show I came up with was based off of The Two Fridas, and I conceived the lyrics of the new Shantytown song in Spanish without translating to English to ensure that it could pass as a Mexican piece of work. (I did take Spanish lessons in high school, but that was years ago. Although I had at one point made use of those lessons in my internet activities, I never thought they'd come in handy until I saw this movie.)

As for Imelda finding out the truth alongside Héctor and the two Cocos, I did it as a way to convey my reactions the first time I watched the movie. Despite going into the movie thinking it was a remake of The Star (I thought the skeletons in the trailers were llamas; it's a long story), I was able to predict that Ernesto would be the villain, and him pocketing the _foto_ was what sealed the deal for me. And again, I did it so I could make Imelda cry at being unable to hide from her true feelings about Héctor.

In summary: If you want to write a work with future generations uncovering the truth as opposed to past generations, a trail has now officially been blazed into that territory. Just be sure to give credit if you decide to use the exact scenario depicted for Héctor's burst of longevity.

Anyway, that's all from me. _Gracias para leyendo, y tenga un día bueno_.


End file.
